Intensive care units across the country are at risk of being overwhelmed by Covid as the new mutant strain of the virus spreads North, top medics have warned.
London hospitals are expected to run out of critical care beds within days with the surge in cases leaving them struggling to cope.
Exhausted NHS staff face growing workloads while critically ill patients are being moved hundreds of miles to free up beds. A new study from Imperial College experts has found the new mutant variant of coronavirus is “hugely” more infectious than the original strain.
Prof Jim Naismith of Oxford University said the findings indicated that even tougher lockdown restrictions would soon be needed. “Unless we do something different the new virus strain is