[ad_1]
After the discovery of a new Corona variant in Britain and South Africa, Germany is also considering suspending flights from the two countries. Several European countries have already stopped traveling.
According to government circles, Germany is considering banning flights from Britain and South Africa due to the spread of a new variant of the corona virus. Restricting flights from the two regions is “a serious option,” the Federal Ministry of Health said.
A spokesman for the department head, Jens Spahn, said: “The Federal Ministry of Health is closely following developments in Britain, is in contact with European neighbors and is working hard to assess information on the possible variant of the virus”.
It emerged yesterday that a similar virus mutation had also occurred in South Africa.
The mutation has not yet occurred in Germany
The chief virologist of the Berlin Charité, Christian Drosten, wrote on Twitter that the mutation had not yet appeared in Germany. The spread could be a coincidence.
The mutations did not necessarily give the virus a selection advantage, even if that were possible, according to the coronavirus expert. A selection advantage can facilitate the spread of a virus.
Experts: the vaccine is still effective
Experts still do not see any indication that the mutation affects the effectiveness of the corona vaccine.
“I don’t see any cause for alarm at the moment,” said Richard Neher of the Biozentrum at the University of Basel. Andreas Bergthaler of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (CeMM) in Vienna does not consider the current development to be “incredibly alarming”. It is not uncommon for mutations to appear. At the moment it is not known if the observed changes significantly modify the properties of the pathogen.
In view of the effectiveness of vaccination, experts emphasize that the vaccine creates an immune reaction against various characteristics of the virus. Therefore, changes in individual characteristics would not lead to the immune system no longer recognizing the pathogen, says Neher.
Several European countries stop traveling
After the same new form of the virus was found in the Netherlands, the Netherlands initially banned passenger flights from the UK until January 1 on Sunday morning.
Belgium also cuts its transport links with the United Kingdom. A government official announced that flights and train connections from Britain would stop at midnight. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on VRT television that the order would apply for at least 24 hours.
Italy also wants to suspend air connections to and from Great Britain. Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio wrote in a Facebook post. The government has a duty to protect the Italian people.
According to TV broadcaster BFM, France is also considering disrupting UK air and rail traffic. An official decision is expected Sunday. According to the APA news agency, Austria also plans to stop all flights from Britain.
Faced with the reactions of European partners, the Spanish government has asked the EU Commission and the European Council for a coordinated response to the situation.
New variant of Corona significantly more contagious
According to initial findings by British scientists, the recently discovered variant of the virus is up to 70 percent more contagious than the previously known form.
The new Corona variant is blamed for a sharp increase in the number of infections in parts of England, for which the British government had imposed a curfew on London and south-east England.
