Documents published by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) today warned a future strain could be as deadly as MERS — which has a case fatality rate of 35 per cent — could be on the way.

No10’s expert panel claimed the likelihood of the virus mutating is highest when it is most prevalent — as is currently the case in Britain.

And in a downside of Britain’s hugely successful vaccination drive, the team warned the country’s greater levels of immunity may help speed up the virus’s evolutionary process…

The prospect of a deadlier variant is a ‘realistic possibility’ and would have a huge impact on the UK’s death toll moving forward, the scientists said. 
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