Scotland’s chief medical advisor has called the coronavirus strain known as the Kent variant Scotland’s “big problem”, blaming it for the stubborn number of cases across the country despite harsh lockdown restrictions.

Professor Jason Leitch, speaking of the “fragility” of the situation in Scotland, said the Kent variant - the more infectious variant of Covid-19 first discovered in Kent - made up well over 80 per cent of known cases in the country.

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland’s drivetime programme, he suggested the South African variant was no longer cause for concern in the absence of community transmission.

Prof Leitch said: “We’re not overly worried about the South African variant, although we’re keeping an eye.

“All of the cases we’ve got have got South African travel history, we’re self-isolating them and their households, so we’re not worried there’s community transmission of it - but it does indicate that this virus likes to mutate.”

However, Prof Leitch stressed this was to be expected, and turned to Scotland’s “big problem”, the Kent variant.

He said: “The Kent variant is our big problem, and it’s the reason our numbers are so stubborn to come down - even in this level of lockdown that everyone’s fed up with - it’s proving stubborn.”

When asked about the prevalence of the variant in Scotland, Prof Leitch responded: “Well over 80 per cent, so it’s the variant, it’s the virus.

“We don’t really have two viruses any more, we have one, and it’s unfortunately more transmissable.

“If there’s one of the viruses that’s going to win the race, it’s going to be the one that is better at its job, and that’s what it’s done. It has won.”

Prof Leitch said he hoped another strain of the virus doesn’t emerge that is “even better” at its job, by causing worse illness or dodging the vaccine.

“So far, that hasn’t happened”, he added.

The Herald:

It comes after the director of the UK’s genetic surveillance programme said that the Kent variant will become the world’s dominant strain.

The variant has now been detected across Britain and in more than 50 countries.

Professor Sharon Peacock from the Covid-19 Genomics UK (Cog-UK) Consortium warned: “It’s going to sweep the world, in all probability”.

Analysis of the variant, known as B117, suggests it is up to 70% more transmissible than the previous strain that was dominant in the UK.

Prof Peacock, professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge, said transmissibility was likely to cause scientists difficulties for years to come.

“Once we get on top of it [Covid-19] or it mutates itself out of being virulent – causing disease – then we can stop worrying about it,” she said.

“But I think, looking in the future, we’re going to be doing this for years. We’re still going to be doing this 10 years down the line, in my view.”

Despite data suggesting the mutant variant may be more deadly, there is no evidence to indicate existing treatments, such as dexamethasone, will not be effective against it.

A study has suggested that people infected with the UK variant are less likely to report a loss of taste and smell.

There are now four “variants of concern” of the virus that causes Covid-19 identified by government advisers, three of these have been found in the UK, and the fourth is the Brazil variant identified in people who had travelled to Japan.

Analysis is ongoing to establish the impact of these mutations on the virus.

Latest figures for Scotland

Scotland has recorded 67 deaths from coronavirus and 830 positive tests in the past 24 hours, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said.

It brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 6,666.

Speaking during the Scottish Government’s daily briefing, Ms Freeman said 190,005 people have now tested positive in Scotland, up from 189,175 the previous day.

The daily test positivity rate is 5.2%, up from 4% on the previous 24 hours.

Of the new cases, 257 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 133 in Lanarkshire, 119 in Ayrshire and Arran, and 100 Lothian.

There are 1,472 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down 27 in 24 hours, and 115 patients are in intensive care, up six.

Ms Freeman added that 1,113,628 people have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, an increase of 64,881 on the previous day’s figures – the highest daily increase.