Understand what science knows about the new coronavirus mutation – International

12/27/2020 Brazil, Health, Science, Technology, World

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First case identified in France — The first case of the British mutation identified in France was diagnosed in a French man living in a city in the United Kingdom (photo: LOIC VENANCE / AFP)

One year after the registration of the first cases of COVID-19, a new coronavirus mutation raised global concern, especially in Europe, about the disease.

Since last Sunday, when the United Kingdom confirmed a new strain of Sars-CoV-2 that would be highly transmissible, more than 50 countries have initiated border blockades and have banned the entry of flights from British airports.

Yesterday it was the turn of Spain, France and Sweden to announce cases related to this mutation within their territories.

These changes in the initial virus are like new genetic identities that show that the microorganism is not exactly the same that first appeared in January 2020, when the cases began to be studied by science.

These variants are of concern to Europe and are also being investigated in Brazil. Experts say there is no reason to panic yet, but they advocate restrictive measures to prevent further transmission.

As predicted, these genomes suffer mutaes that, despite harboring these internal differences, are still the SARS-CoV-2, as explained by the researchers interviewed by BBC News Brazil.

One of these strains, identified as B.1.1.7, caused more than 50 countries to block the transit of people to the UK last week, as British researchers and government officials warned that the variant has become very prevalent. of the territory, including London, suffering more than 10 mutations that may have facilitated its transmission.

Since then, the strain has also been found in Australia, Denmark, Italy, Iceland, the Netherlands, and now Spain, France, and Sweden.

Although viruses undergo mutations all the time, it is vital to understand whether or not they are changing the behavior of the virus and altering the disease.

This specific variant found in Europe is of concern for three main reasons:

it is rapidly replacing other versions of the virus;
you have mutations that affect parts of the virus that are likely to be important; and
It has already been discovered in the laboratory that some of these mutations can increase the virus’s ability to infect cells in the body, according to a BBC report.

All this creates a worrying scenario, but there is still no certainty about their behavior.

That — Italy located six more cases of the mutation, for a total of almost 10 in just one week (photo: Vincenzo PINTO / AFP)

Not Brazil alert

Researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) identified five mutations of what could be a possible new lineage of the subspecies B.1.1.28 of the coronavirus circulating among the population of Rio de Janeiro. The details of the research and its results have not yet been published in any scientific journal.

“The monitoring must be continuous. In fact, what we have experience with coronaviruses in other species, such as domestic animals, that, over time, over a longer period, sometimes there are virus mutations that can exceed the antibodies and immunities from the vaccine ”, says researcher Fernando Spilki, coordinator of Rede Corona-mica, an initiative of the so-called RedeVrus MCTI, a committee that brings together specialists, representatives of the federal government, universities and scientific development agencies.

In a note, the Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation highlights that, of the 180 genomes of the Sars-CoV-2 whose samples were sequenced by the National Laboratory of Scientific Computing in Petrpolis, 38 showed genetic mutations that indicate that it is a new lineage.

Out of control

Infectious disease doctor Carlos Starling, scientific consultant for the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases and a member of the COVID-19 Coping Committee in Belo Horizonte, believes that the strains are circulating in all parts of the world, including Brazil, where public sade suffered even before the first impacts of the pandemic.

“In Brazil, we have an epidemic that is completely out of control and this can aggravate our epidemiological situation, increasing the number of cases. This is very worrying, ”he says.

According to the expert, it is only a matter of time before the mutation found in England is detected.

“For this, we need epidemiological surveillance and viral sequencing more intense. Unfortunately we do not do that, which is what makes this strain circulate freely in our country, even without being detected ”, criticizes Starling.

(With agencies)

New events outside the UK

Paris – A week after the United Kingdom announced a strain of the new coronavirus with a large number of mutations, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia also confirmed the appearance of the first cases in their territories and the expansion of people infected by this. mutation.

The health authorities of Madrid have detected four cases of the new strain of COVID-19 discovered in the United Kingdom, the regional government reported yesterday, thus confirming the first infections of the variant in Spain. The four cases are linked to people who have just arrived from the United Kingdom, Antonio Zapatero, deputy councilor for Public Health of the Community of Madrid, told a press conference.

“The situation of confirmed patients is not serious, we know that the strain is more transmissible, but it does not cause seriousness,” he said. “It is not necessary to take the news with any type of nervousness”, Zapatero completed. The country has three other suspected cases of the variant, but is still awaiting test results. France and Spain also confirmed positive cases of the new variant of the virus, while the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Denmark registered nine infected people and Australia and the Netherlands one each.

The new strain of COVID-19 may be up to 70% more contagious, according to a study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Sequencing

A first case of the new strain of COVID-19 that emerged in the United Kingdom was detected on Friday in Tours, Central France, announced the French Ministry of Health. The first confirmed positive case of the new variant of the virus was detected in a French UK resident who is asymptomatic, the ministry said in a statement, saying the contagious person was isolated in quarantine.

According to the protocol established after the discovery of this strain, possibly more contagious, in the south-east of England, a “sequencing” of the virus that infected the French citizen was requested from the National Reference Center for Viruses and Respiratory Infections (CNR).

Italy also announced yesterday that six people tested positive for the new strain of COVID-19 after arriving in Italy in recent days from London, bringing the number of cases in the country to more than 10.

The recent cases involve passengers who did tests at the Capodichino airport in Naples, just days before the suspension of flights from the United Kingdom, announced the president of the Campania region, Vincenzo de Luca.

Three cases were also detected in the Venice region on Christmas Eve, two in the Puglia region (South) and two others, which have yet to be confirmed, in Abruzzo, east of the capital Rome.

Japan dates borders

The Japanese government will not allow non-resident foreigners to enter its territory starting tomorrow. The measure, which runs until the end of January, was imposed after the country verified the first cases of contagion by the new strain of COVID-19. Japan currently restricts the entry of foreigners from most countries for fear of the virus and requires all visitors to adhere to a quarantine upon arrival. Now, Tokyo plans to tighten the requirements: both Japanese passengers and foreign residents of countries that have seen the presence of the new strain must undergo a test within 72 hours of departure and again upon arrival at Japanese airports. Yesterday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that “infections are not decreasing” and if the country continues to do so, it will not be able to avoid another wave. “If we don’t reduce infections now, once they pick up again after the New Year period, it won’t be easy to reverse the downward trend,” he said.

Or what or coronavrus

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. The new coronavirus agent (COVID-19) was discovered in December 2019 in China. The disease can cause infections with symptoms initially similar to colds or the flu, but with the risk of worsening, which can result in death.

How to COVID-19 transmitted?

Coronavirus transmission generally occurs through the air or through personal contact with contaminated secretions, such as saliva droplets, sneezing, coughing, phlegm, close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands, contact with contaminated objects or surfaces, followed by contact with mouth, nose or eyes.

How to prevent?

The recommendation is to avoid overcrowding, stay away from those showing symptoms of respiratory infection, wash your hands frequently, cough with your forearm in front of your mouth, and often use soap and water to wash your hands or alcohol gel afterwards. contact with surfaces. and people. At home, take extra precautions against COVID-19.

What are the symptoms of the coronavirus?

Check out the main symptoms of people infected with COVID-19:

Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath and shortness of breath
Gastric problems
Diarrhea

In severe cases, victims have:

Pneumonia
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Renal failure

The types of COVID-19 symptoms are increasing each week as researchers advance in identifying the behavior of the virus.

Video explains why you should ‘learn to cough’

Myths and truths about the virus

On social media, the spread of COVID-19 also spread rumors about how vrus Sars-CoV-2 transmitted. And other questions arose: Is the alcohol gel capable of killing the virus? Is the coronavirus lethal at a worrying level? Can one infected person infect several others? Will the epidemic kill thousands of Brazilians, since the SUS could not serve everyone? We did a report with a doctor who specializes in infectology and he explains all the myths and truths about the coronavirus.

To learn more about the coronavirus, read also:

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