Qatar, like more than 70 countries around the world and in the region, is now seeing many cases of the new variant from the UK, the Ministry of Public Health said in a post on its social media accounts.

"This new UK variant does not cause different symptoms in infected people, but it is much more highly transmissible and can therefore increase the rate of spread of the virus through the community. Due to this highly transmissible element, the UK variant has contributed to the recent significant increase in cases in Qatar."

"Clinical evidence appears to now show that the UK variant can cause more severe illness, meaning that people infected with the UK variant are more likely to get very sick, require hospitalization, and, sadly, have more chance of dying due to serious complications from the virus."

“One of the characteristics of the strain coming from the United Kingdom is that patients experience more severe complications than before and stay for longer periods in the hospital,”, Dr. Ahmed al-Mohamed, Acting Chairman of HMC's Intensive Care Units had said at the same press conference.

The two COVID-19 vaccines being used in Qatar - Pfizer/ BioNTech and Moderna - have both been shown to be effective at preventing severe symptoms due to the UK variant.

The most effective way to protect yourself and control the spread of the virus is to:

1. Take the COVID-19 vaccine.
2. Adhere to all the COVID-19 precautionary and protective measures.
   

What do you know about the new variants of Coronavirus (Covid-19)?

United Kingdom COVID-19 Variant#YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/zCFKXoeG8n

— وزارة الصحة العامة (@MOPHQatar) March 28, 2021

According to the latest report from the MoPH regarding the COVID-19 Vaccination Program, one in five adults have already received at least one dose of the vaccine - 21.9% of the total population (16 years and above) have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

National COVID-19 Vaccination Program Weekly Update:
Sunday 28 March, 2021#YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/W0taz1454f

— وزارة الصحة العامة (@MOPHQatar) March 28, 2021

Source: Ministry of Public Health

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Darlene

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