Does the vaccine make no sense due to COVID-19 mutations? – Diseases

The infection rate with the new strain of coronavirus increases by 70%. The reproductive number increases by 0.4. One person can infect seven others, based on analysis of laboratory results. This was told bTV by adjunct professor Nina Yancheva, head of the department of infectious diseases at Sofia University of Medicine.

“This strain has been known since September. What has alerted scientists is that from weeks 41 to 50 of this year, the number of patients is increasing significantly. When they analyze the viruses that are isolated, they find that this Strain is above 50% ”, explained the specialist.

She said that coronviruses are generally known to mutate, but are believed to be slow.

“In this case, the mutation is rapid and that is why scientists are alarmed. “These mutations have not been shown to alter the course of the pandemic and the severity of the disease,” he said.

“The difference in this case is the infection rate. It is clear that the patients are young people over 60 years of age. The severity of the disease is not greater and there is no greater mortality,” explained associate professor Nina Yancheva.

The Virologist of the New Strain of COVID-19: No Reason to Panic

Regarding the general ban on flights to and from the United Kingdom, the expert explained that it is a prevention.

“After the slowdown in the reaction of institutions after the first cases of the new virus in China, now the measures are much faster and more aggressive to limit any suspicion of danger, but it is not clear at the moment,” said Dr. Yancheva.

He said there was evidence that the new strain had reached the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia.

“Currently, there is no evidence that the new strain makes the vaccine meaningless, because the vaccine, like the natural disease, leads to the formation of neutralizing antibodies and cellular immunity. Mutations cause a change in the binding of the virus to the cells, but this would not lead to a complete blocking of the effect of the vaccine ”, said the specialist.