Elias Mosialos answers 9 questions about the new strain of coronavirus – The post on Facebook



[ad_1]

Elias Mosialos summarizes what is known so far about the new strain of the coronavirus, which has spread in Britain, by answering nine questions on this topic.

From the data so far, this strain is probably more easily transmitted, but data is still being collected, the LSE professor notes in a Facebook post. Vaccines appear to continue to work against the new strain, he says, noting that this creates a heavier clinical picture and there is no greater risk of reinfection than this strain.

Analytically, the answers given by Elias Mosialos for the new strain of coronavirus

How did it appear?
The variant is believed to have been produced in a patient in the UK or imported from a country with a lower capacity to monitor for coronavirus mutations.

How did it spread to the UK?
The new strain was first identified around September, in November, accounting for about a quarter of cases in London and reached nearly two-thirds of cases in mid-December. Data from Nextstrain, which tracks the genetic sequences of samples around the world, also suggests that the cases in Denmark and Australia come from the UK.

How fast does it spread?

You can see from the attached chart how the new strain has dominated test results at some diagnostic centers, such as the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Laboratory.

Why is the new executive a cause for concern?
Because there are laboratory results that show that some of the mutations it carries are likely to affect the virus’s ability to more easily infect cells. However, there is no absolute certainty and laboratory experiments are required. But restrictive measures are the only way to prevent amid such serious concerns until it is proven whether the new strain is more contagious or more dangerous.

Were there other variants that dominated the virus that was first detected in Wuhan?
Yes. The D614G mutation appeared in Europe in February and became the dominant form of the virus in the world. The A222V, spread throughout Europe and was associated with the summer holidays of the people in Spain. Another mutation, an H69 / V70 deletion, in which a small part of the pin is removed, has appeared several times before.

What do we know about the new executive?
An initial analysis detects several changes, but if changes in the spike protein make it easier for the virus to enter cells, it is likely to give you an advantage. But this has yet to be proven to be the case.

Does it make the infection more deadly?
There is no evidence that it does, but it is obviously being studied and monitored. However, an increase in transmission alone would be enough to cause problems for hospitals due to increased imports.

Is there a risk of reinfection?
According to the ECDC (Threat Assessment Report 12/20/20), there is no evidence to suggest that it increases the likelihood of reinfection.

Will vaccines work against the new variant?
For now, experts believe there is no cause for concern. Vaccines train the immune system to attack various points on the needle, so if one part has changed, the vaccines should still work.

This would put us in a flu-like situation, where vaccines are regularly modified and continue to protect us. Experts say that vaccines that have been approved and developed are easy to modify.

News about the new coronavirus strain The spread of the new coronavirus strain is responsible for the introduction …

Posted by Elias Mosialos on Monday, December 21, 2020

Follow LiFO.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See the latest news from Greece and the world, on LiFO.gr



[ad_2]