List of countries that confirmed cases of the new variant of the coronavirus increases | National newspaper

The variant confirmation in France illustrates how an epidemic spreads.

The first time the UK blamed the strain for the outbreak in England was the second. A week ago, the British head of government reinforced the same message from the Health Minister.

As Boris Johnson spoke, the infected French citizen was leaving London. A day later, France banned anyone leaving the UK from entering the country.

On the 21st, the person’s test was positive: it was the most prevalent variant in southern England. It is isolated and has no symptoms.

It was six days between the alarm of the British government and the closing of the borders of France and other countries. But since November, the United Kingdom already knew that this lineage represented more than a quarter of the cases detected in London, where one of the most connected airports in the world is located.

It is not surprising that other countries have already detected cases of the variant. Canada, Sweden and Spain also confirmed this Saturday (26). Japan, on Friday (25). Australia, Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Lebanon have previously detected the lineage in their territories.

Many of these countries now require a recent negative test to allow UK passengers to enter.

Ester Sabino, an immunologist at USP, explains that all viruses change shape. Sometimes change is bad and works against the virus. But in others, the change improves infectivity and helps the virus multiply. The British variant has suffered 17 mutations, many of them in the spine, the key that opens the cell to the virus.

“What is known, the indications are that this new strain causes a more rapid transmission, but there is no indication that it can cause a worsening of the clinical picture. The way we have to control this is to try to reduce the transmission as much as possible. It is doing the care we have talked about since February: social distancing, mask. This has to be the approach until vaccines are used on a large scale, ”says Ester Sabino.

The international scientific community agrees that everything indicates that the vaccines act against the cataloged variants of the new coronavirus. The European Union began distributing Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines this Saturday. And there are people who are already receiving SMS asking for vaccination. The message from Portugal explains that the dose is optional, but recommended and free.

Italy escorts the deep-frozen vaccine; Spain has already opened the truck with the lots; the French scrape the ice off the boxes; Greece checks thermometers at minus 70 degrees. The whole European Union agreed to get out of this together. The bloc has already closed contracts that guarantee vaccines for the 450 million European citizens.

Ursula von der Leyen said it was time to turn the page in a difficult year. The president of the European Commission said that the moment is to touch union: the 27 member countries agreed to start vaccination on Sunday (27).