Post by Admin on Nov 3, 2020 5:19:50 GMT
The UK and Ireland: The first sequences in the
UK (England) which associate with the cluster are from
the 18th July, in the middle of the period from the 10th
to 26th July when quarantine-free travel to Spain was
allowed for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The
first Irish sequences to associate with the cluster were
taken a short time later, on the 23rd of July.
The prevalence of sequences from the United Kingdom
make introductions harder to quantify. To allow a
conservative estimate, we considered each node with both
sequences from Spain and the UK as a possible introduction,
but considered nodes containing sequences from
the UK that descend from these as expansion of that introduction
in the UK. This method gives an estimate of
at least 21 introductions from Spain into the UK. Many
of those introductions are represented by dozens to hundreds of
genomes, while one genotype present in the UK,
carrying the 21614T mutation, is responsible for almost
a two-thirds of the sequences associated with the cluster
in the country.
The fifty-six sequences that fall in the cluster from Ireland
indicate at least five separate introductions. In three
nodes, Irish sequences either share diversity with Spanish
sequences or have parents that do, with the remaining
Irish sequences clustering most closely with the diversity
present in the UK. However, as mentioned before, the diversity
in Spain is likely not fully represented in the tree,
so direct transmission cannot be ruled out.
Differing Travel Restrictions in the UK and Ireland:
Interestingly, while quarantine-free travel was allowed in
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland from the
10th–26th July, Scotland refrained from adding Spain to
the list of ‘exception’ countries until the 23th July
(meaning there were only 4 days during which returnees did
not have to quarantine). On the other hand, Ireland
never allowed quarantine-free travel to Spain, but did
allow quarantine-free travel from Northern Ireland, though
general movement restrictions were in place until May.
Similarly, Scotland allowed quarantine-free travel to and
from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Despite
having only a very short or no period where quarantine
free travel was possible to Spain, both Scotland and
Ireland have cases linked to the cluster.
UK (England) which associate with the cluster are from
the 18th July, in the middle of the period from the 10th
to 26th July when quarantine-free travel to Spain was
allowed for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The
first Irish sequences to associate with the cluster were
taken a short time later, on the 23rd of July.
The prevalence of sequences from the United Kingdom
make introductions harder to quantify. To allow a
conservative estimate, we considered each node with both
sequences from Spain and the UK as a possible introduction,
but considered nodes containing sequences from
the UK that descend from these as expansion of that introduction
in the UK. This method gives an estimate of
at least 21 introductions from Spain into the UK. Many
of those introductions are represented by dozens to hundreds of
genomes, while one genotype present in the UK,
carrying the 21614T mutation, is responsible for almost
a two-thirds of the sequences associated with the cluster
in the country.
The fifty-six sequences that fall in the cluster from Ireland
indicate at least five separate introductions. In three
nodes, Irish sequences either share diversity with Spanish
sequences or have parents that do, with the remaining
Irish sequences clustering most closely with the diversity
present in the UK. However, as mentioned before, the diversity
in Spain is likely not fully represented in the tree,
so direct transmission cannot be ruled out.
Differing Travel Restrictions in the UK and Ireland:
Interestingly, while quarantine-free travel was allowed in
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland from the
10th–26th July, Scotland refrained from adding Spain to
the list of ‘exception’ countries until the 23th July
(meaning there were only 4 days during which returnees did
not have to quarantine). On the other hand, Ireland
never allowed quarantine-free travel to Spain, but did
allow quarantine-free travel from Northern Ireland, though
general movement restrictions were in place until May.
Similarly, Scotland allowed quarantine-free travel to and
from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Despite
having only a very short or no period where quarantine
free travel was possible to Spain, both Scotland and
Ireland have cases linked to the cluster.