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It had only taken a few hours over the weekend to turn Britain into an isolated island. One European country after another cut their transport connections to prevent the recently discovered and seemingly rampant coronavirus type B.1.1.7 variant of type B.1.1.7 from spreading across the continent.
While European politicians reacted extremely nervously to the mutation of the virus that is said to be 70 percent more contagious, many scientists were more relaxed. Because the fact that pathogens are constantly changing is not only normal; In many cases, the mutation does not change the risk of infection or the severity of the disease course. And, especially in continental Europe, the data situation was initially poor. Many virologists did not want to do an assessment of the dangerousness of the new strain without at least having the results of the rudimentary tests at hand.
But in the meantime, data sharing between British experts and their colleagues in EU countries has intensified significantly. For example, a study by the British health authority Public Health England (PHS) based on genetic testing and model calculations shows a significantly increased risk of infection with one of around 20 mutations of the new B.1.1.7 variant.
A change in the spike protein is said to be responsible for this, allowing the mutation with the name N501Y to more easily and better couple to the target cells. At the same time, the body may have a more difficult time providing the proper immune response, as the mutation affects a site that is attacked by antibodies to stop the virus.
And even if there is currently no evidence that the new variant leads to more serious disease, many virologists are now clearly more concerned. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t look good,” Christian Drosten, head of virology at the Berlin Charité, commented on the PHS data now available: However, it is positive that B.1.1.7 cases have so far only increased in those areas where the overall incidence was high or increasing. “Reducing the contact also works against the spread of the mutant,” Drosten emphasized.
Drosten had already ruled out on Monday that the new variant could be limited to Great Britain and some cases in countries such as Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands. Lothar Wieler, director of the Robert Koch Institute, made a similar statement on Tuesday: The probability that the new variant of the virus is already widespread in Germany is very high, Wieler said.
Trusted pharmaceutical companies
However, the virus mutation, which has not yet been detected by laboratory findings in Germany or Austria, can be controlled with corona vaccination as well as previous variants. Mainz-based company Biontech assumes it could produce a preparation in six weeks that is precisely tailored to the mutation of the virus that appeared in Britain in September.
However, it is highly likely that the vaccine that has already been produced and will be widely used in the EU from December 27 will also work against the new variant, he said.
Biontech boss Ugur Sahin on Tuesday. “We have already tested the vaccine against 20 other virus variants with other mutations. The immune response produced by our vaccine has always inactivated all forms of the virus.” According to Sahin, more precise data and reliable results on efficacy against the new variant should be available in the coming weeks after the completion of some studies.
The American pharmaceutical company Moderna is currently planning a similar series of tests with the new strain of the virus, whose mRNA vaccine is already in use in the United States and is likely to be approved in the EU on January 6. On Tuesday, however, Biontech’s competitor made it clear that it also assumes that its active ingredient also protects against mutation.
In any case, the head of Biontech, Sahin, is confident that with the approval of more vaccines, the virus can soon be suppressed in the long term. In summer you could already achieve a “normal life” without stops.(rs)
