UK launches new global platform to track new COVID-19 variants

UK launched a New Variant Assessment Platform on Tuesday, which it says will offer country's world-leading gemics expertise to identify new variants of virus that causes COVID-19 to countries who do t have resources to do so.

As part of UK’s Presidency of G7 this year, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock outlined plans in a speech at think tank Chatham House – Royal Institute of International Affairs in London as he laid out his vision for a stronger, more collaborative and effective global health system, t just in fighting COVID-19 pandemic, but to ensure international community is better prepared for future threats.

“This pandemic has shown that foundations of so many of exciting experiences that make life worth living are contingent t just on our health, or health of our neighbours, but health of people we’ve never met. When one of us suffers, we all suffer,” said Hancock.

“So we must work to promote health security in every single part of world. t only will this Platform help us better understand this virus and how it spreads, but it will also boost global capability in this important field, so we’re all better prepared for whatever lies ahead,” he said.

Countries will be offered UK capacity to analyse new strains of virus through launch of platform led by Public Health England (PHE), working with NHS Test and Trace and academic partners as well as World Health Organisation’s (WHO) SARS-CoV-2 Global Laboratory Working Group. In due course, it will be led by National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) and will involve PHE laboratories and staff as well as academic partner capabilities.

Dr Isabel Oliver, Director of Public Health England’s National Infection Service, said: “We kw that virus will evolve over time and certain mutations could potentially cause virus to spread faster, make people sicker, or possibly affect how well vaccines work. Gemic testing is crucial to our efforts to control virus – it allows us to keep an eye on how virus is changing and to respond before it’s too late.

“This new initiative will bring Public Health England’s cutting edge science to countries that have little or ability to sequence and analyse COVID-19 virus strains mselves. It will also give us crucial early warning of new variants emerging around world that might endanger UK.” platform will be working directly on samples provided from abroad or will provide expert advice and support remotely where partner country already has some capabilities in this area but requests furr assistance. offer could include training and resources as well as personnel and equipment.

Countries will be able to apply for assistance by contacting WHO where an existing channel does t already exist with UK.

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) describes move as vital work to combat spread of coronavirus by identifying more COVID-19 variants around world to keep global community one step ahead of any mutations.

UK has carried out more than half of all SARS-CoV-2 geme sequences submitted to global database, and this capability helped PHE’s scientists identify variant in Kent, sourn England, informing new measures to tackle spread of virus.

“New variants of coronavirus can be threats to progress made so far with treatments and vaccines, so it is vital that global community is able to react to m quickly and decisively,” DHSC said.

aim of new platform is for UK’s gemic expertise to guide global response to controlling spread of deadly viruses and saving lives.