Opinion: Why England is dangerously exposed to new Covid-19 variants

The ineffective Test and Trace programme increases the risk of viral mutations that render vaccines less effective, says Professor Anthony Costello (UCL Institute for Global Health). The Covid-19 virus, like many others, is unstable and mutates frequently. All vaccines target the "spike": the sugary protein that allows it to bind to and enter our cells. The vaccines induce neutralising antibodies that block the spike and therefore infection. If the virus has mutations in its spike, the antibodies may be ineffective to varying degrees. Three variants of concern have been reported since December 2020:  B.1.1.7 in the UK, B1.351 in South Africa, both with 23 mutations, and the P1 variant in Brazil with 35 mutations. B.1.1.7 was traced back to in Kent in September 2020.