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A new one would have been identified in the UK. variant of Covid-19. British Health Minister Matt Hancock announced the discovery in the House of Commons. The new strain would have caused a rapid spread of the virus in the south east of England, much more than in the rest of the United Kingdom, there are about a thousand infections registered by 60 different local health authorities. However, at the moment, Hancock announced, there would be no indications to suggest that this new variant may induce more severe symptoms than those already known, or that it may not respond to the vaccines that will be administered to the population.
A new strain in the UK
The Health Minister also noted that the discovery was reported to the WHO, the World Health Organization, and that tests are currently being carried out to monitor the virulence of the new strain. According to Corriere, the most affected area, the Southeast, will be subject to the strictest restrictions at level 3 as of next Wednesday. “Based on the latest clinical data, it seems very unlikely that this mutation will not react to a vaccine, but we must remain vigilant and follow the rules and everyone must take personal responsibility for not spreading the virus.”.
Mike Ryan, WHO’s chief of emergency operations, explained that the importance of the variant in terms of contagion must be understood, as well as the effect on therapies and vaccines. It is also necessary to understand whether the new variant is spreading internationally or only in UK, if it makes the virus more aggressive, if it interferes with medications and vaccines.
To date there are still no answers, but it is essential to study the mutation to understand if it is significant. WHO Maria Van Kerkhove during the briefing on the pandemic added: “To date there is no evidence that he behaves differently from others already known. The situation is monitored by the Virus Evolution Working Group in the context of mutations discovered in mink in different parts of the world. “.
The other variants
Last June, researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida found a variant in a gene that codes for the Spike protein. In this variant, each viral particle is approximately 10 times more infectious than other strains studied in the laboratory. Another mutation of the virus was registered in Spain at the beginning of November, to which the second European wave was attributed. In that case, the virus had spread among some agricultural workers and reached other European countries brought by tourists returning from summer holidays.
In Denmark, a Covid mutation had been detected in 12 patients infected with visoni, which had been slaughtered on more than a thousand farms. It is worrying that none of those infected could produce antibodies. It must be said that all viruses undergo mutations or changes in their genetic code. The virus wants to adapt to its host to be able to replicate itself, if the lethality increases, the virus also dies. On the contrary, it is very beneficial for him to increase the transmissibility.
