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Wednesday, February 03, 2021
Another subtype formed
Tyrol becomes the focus of the corona mutation
Actually, the crown measures in Austria should relax as of Monday. A virologist calls for this to be postponed in Tirol. She points out that parts of the state are a focus for the South African variant. Furthermore, other variants have already formed here.
In Austria, according to a virologist, there are increasing indications that parts of the state of Tyrol are a focus for the spread of the variant of the South African crown. According to the latest figures from the end of last week, about half of the infections caused by a mutation are currently due to this variant, the virologist Dorothee von Laer of the Medical University of Innsbruck said the “standard”.
Eighty percent of the new infections were caused by the original virus, 10 percent each by the British or South African variant, he said. “Now we have 80 cases and certainly a large number of unreported cases. This is no longer a small group,” said the expert on the spread of the South African variant. Although he does not have an overview of the entire federal state, according to his investigations, the region between Innsbruck and the German border near Kufstein is affected.
Von Laer spoke out in favor of restricting mobility and postponing the opening of stores across Austria, which is scheduled for February 8, now in Tyrol, for at least a week. Perhaps the spread of this variant could still be slowed down and at least buy time.
This is indicated because the South African variant itself has at least two additional mutations. According to von Laer, they are a “Tyrolean subtype” of the South African variant. The development is concerning because recent studies have suggested that vaccines are less effective against the mutation and that the natural protection that antibodies provide after illness is much less effective against this variant.
