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Coronavirus: Downing Street press conference January 5th 2021; Press conference part 7 of 10ENGLAND: London: Westminster: Downing Street: INTBoris Johnson MP (Prime Minister), Professor Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer for England) and Sir Patrick Vallance (UK Chief Scientific Adviser) question and answer session SOT. Vallance SOT:- On South African variant, as virus replicates, changes in genetic code, lead to changes in protein- May lead to shape changes means virus recognised differently- UK variant made virus more transmissible, but not hidden from immune system- SA variant, change a bit more substantial, effect on shape- Nothing to suggest case can't be recognised- Worth recognised vaccine makes lots of antibodies against bits- Minor effect decrease efficacy of vaccine, will be question with every variant Q: RE LIFE NORMALITY AFTER VACCINATIONWhitty SOT- If did not do things all need to do, take stay at home seriously, risk in winter extraordinarily high- Risk walking down path, things lifted by degrees, different rates in different regions- Over time, people say this level of risk society prepared to tolerate- May need to bring few in next winter, as benefit virus- Get to stage where risk incredibly low, relative to now- 7,000 die of flu, accept level of risk, have to do at certain point, political decision- Science can take risk down and down, reduced by vaccination- Zero risk not possibility