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LONDON – There is a Covid emergency in the UK. In some respects, even higher than the first wave of spring, so much so that primary schools in London were closed until at least 18 January. But parent-teacher associations are calling for the measure to be extended to the entire country. Because the new highly contagious variant B.1.1.7 of the coronavirus is now spreading throughout the country, not only in London and in the already very affected southeast English.
Today alone, new Sars-CoV-2 infections have touched 58,000 cases, a historic record, in about 500,000 daily tests. But in recent days, infections have always been above 50,000, with hospitalizations reaching the alarm level in April and deaths that have repeatedly touched the macabre threshold of 1,000: today they stopped at 445 .
In short, despite a temporary advantage for vaccines over other Western countries (London approved Pfizer and Oxford first and has 140 million reserved doses in total), the UK seems to be overwhelmed by the new strain today. So much so that pressure from teachers and unions is now enormous not to reopen schools next week across the country and follow London’s lead, so there has already been a sensational setback from the Minister of Education. Gavin williamson, after a tug of war with the mayor Sadiq khan. Because even the increasingly restrictive measures in recent weeks, that is, a one-month national lockdown in November and 80% of the country practically “closed”, have been useless to stop the contagion. This appears to be due to the new “English variant” B.1.1.7 of the Coronavirus.
The Imperial College has recently published a study confirming the extremely contagious nature of the new variant of the virus, so that even medium or medium-high level crashes can do little if the rules are not fully respected. This virus strain would have a reproduction index “Rt” (which estimates the exponential advance of the Coronavirus infection), between 0.4 and 0.7 higher than the Rt of the other variants, thus raising it to an average of 1.4-1.8 , despite the ongoing crashes: 1.8 means that 10 infected infect another 18, 18 out of 32 and so on. Not only that: it now seems certain that the virus mutation is spreading especially among the very young and those under 20. Hence the increasingly likely closure of many schools in the next two weeks. And a third national lockdown in the UK is getting closer and closer.
The situation is so dire that the British government and medical and scientific authorities have stirred controversy with some decisions, according to some risky experts. First, the approval by the Mhra pharmaceutical authority of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be administered from Monday but for which the European pharmaceutical agency Ema and the US FDA are not yet convinced: in fact they have decided take more time and perform more tests. Then the controversial case of the extension, again decided by the Mhra, to 12 weeks (of the 3-4 initially planned) of the time elapsed between the first and second doses of vaccine to immunize, even partially, the largest possible number of people against the new highly contagious B variant. .1.1.7 coronavirus instead of completing the vaccination cycle with the second dose after 3-4 weeks (method involving a smaller number of citizens).
Finally, today, the British authorities have raised the possibility of administering two different vaccines, that is, using the Oxford vaccine for the first dose and the Pfizer-BioNTech for the second, or vice versa, in a single patient. An eventuality that alarms several experts. To date no such cases are known to have occurred in the UK. And officially, tests are still being carried out on what in the jargon is called “mix and match” of vaccines, after the scientific authorities of London, like the head of the working group of vaccines in the United Kingdom Kate Bingham, They will not rule it out a few weeks ago This possibility. However, there is a gray area where mixing of vaccines is theoretically already allowed, no less than in the vaccination manual provided by the British Public Health NHS to nurses and healthcare professionals who inoculate and administer the Pfizer vaccine and, to starting the day after tomorrow, than by Oxford-AstraZeneca.
Coronavirus: London moves away the doses of the vaccine, the doubts of the experts
by our correspondent Antonello Guerrera
In the NHS Public Health Vaccination Manual for its workers, it clearly reads: “Every effort should be made to ensure that the same patient always receives the same type of vaccine. However, those who have started the immunization cycle but for those who all booster the same type of vaccine is not available or the type of the first dose is unknown, it is reasonable to offer a dose of the product available locally to complete the cycle. ”Translated: in those limited cases, any type of vaccine is well, regardless. Not only that. Also in the manual we read that “this option”, that is, “mix and match”, is the best if the patient “is considered high risk or if it is unlikely that he will take a new one second dose “, if it should be sent back randomly in the absence of the same type of vaccine available.
This eventuality contemplated by the British authorities immediately triggered the reaction of Pfizer, already irritated by the extension of the wait between the inoculation of the first and the second dose until 12 weeks decided unilaterally by the British anti-drug authorities. “The decision on alternative regimens on dosing is up to local health authorities,” explains the US pharmaceutical company in a statement, “but it is vital for Pfizer that controls on alternative methods are maximized to ensure that each person who receives the vaccine has the maximum protection and immunization possible. “
But since the Coronavirus is spreading without limits through the Canal, the Johnson government is working fast and plans to vaccinate at least 15 of the 25 million people at risk by February, with one or two doses. Regarding the closure of schools, however, the executive has always doubted, also due to the social role of the schools it covers, to see the food that is provided to poor children, sometimes their only real meal of the day. But how long will this position last to open schools, especially if, as Imperial College writes, the new variant is widespread among the youngest?
Meanwhile, the Premier League is also at great risk. Only in the week of Christmas there were 18 cases of Covid among footballers, an absolute record, and it led to the suspension of three games: Newcastle-West Ham, Everton-Manchester City and Tottenham-Fulham. To these today was added Fulham-Burnley. Decisions that have aroused controversy, such as those of the third-placed Everton by Ancelotti. But new shoots are also spreading in the minor leagues. The new West Bromwich Albion coach in place of Bilic, veteran Sam Allardyce, hinted that this cannot continue, proposing a new total suspension of football in England due to coronavirus, as last March.
While Newcastle coach Steve Bruce fears the damage that Covid-infected players could suffer. For now, the federation is fully responding, not only because of the busy schedule, but also because in the summer the Europeans were postponed last year. But in a country like the UK overwhelmed by the new strain of coronavirus, until “the show must go on”?
