Covid variant and vaccine, Europe between doubts and hopes

Published on: 12/21/2020 11:41 PM

England’s Covid variant and the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine. Europe moves between fear and hope in the emergency of the coronavirus. The Covid variant identified in the United Kingdom, and which also landed in Italy, seems more contagious but no more ‘bad’ than the already known Coronavirus. And in all probability, according to the positions expressed by numerous experts, it does not hinder the normal functioning of vaccines. This is the picture that is taking shape as scientists become familiar with the new look of Covid. “The UK reports that this variant of the Coronavirus is more easily transmitted but there are no elements to believe that it causes more serious consequences or is more deadly,” is the position of the WHO, in the words of Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In recent days, there have been reports of a variant of the coronavirus in the UK and South Africa. For the WHO, the list also includes Italy, Australia, Iceland, Denmark and the Netherlands. “Viruses mutate over time, which is natural and expected. The UK reports that this variant is more easily transmitted, but there is no evidence that it causes more serious or deadly consequences. WHO is working to get scientists to understand how these genetic changes can affect the behavior of the virus, “adds the CEO.

While England discusses the need to extend the blockade and some 40 countries block air connections with the United Kingdom, Europe finally gives the green light to the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine, called ‘Comirnaty’. The green light has arrived from Ema, the continental drug agency, and the approval of the commercialization by the European Commission is also very close. “We add an important chapter to our battle against Covid-19. We have decided to make the first vaccine against Covid-19 available to European citizens: we have given conditional marketing authorization to the vaccine produced by BionTech and Pfizer “, announces the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Ema” has carefully examined the vaccine and concluded that it is safe and effective against Covid-19. Based on this scientific evaluation, we proceeded to authorize it for the EU market. As promised, it will be available to EU countries at the same time and under the same conditions. The first packages will be shipped from the Pfizer plant here in Belgium in the next few days. “Vaccines, von der Leyen continues,” can start at the same time, during the EU vaccination days, on days 27, 28 and 29 from December. It’s a very positive way to end this difficult year and start turning the page on Covid-19. This is our first vaccine – others will be approved soon if they are safe and effective. The EMA will give its opinion on Moderna’s vaccine on January 6 and while we deliver vaccines to Europeans, we also ensure them to the rest of the world. “

But the question that arises is whether the new variant of Covid is capable of mocking the vaccine. According to Franco Locatelli, president of the Higher Health Council (SSC), “it is very unlikely” that the new variant of Sars-CoV-2 shows “resistance in terms of forming an immunity” and therefore is ‘invulnerable’ to vaccines . “Why does the English variant of the Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 scare Europe? I too would like to understand it”, says Massimo Clementi, director of the Microbiology and Virology Laboratory of the San Raffaele hospital in Milan and professor at Vita University. Say hello. in Adnkronos Salute. “There is scaremongering not justified by the data. It is one thing to detect a variant, it is one thing to say that it has different biological characteristics. We cannot say this until we put the virus in cell culture and see that it escapes the antibodies. And at the time”. There is no evidence that can make us suspect this. So at the moment it is an unjustified scaremongering ”, reiterates Clementi. According to Massimo Galli, specialist in infectious diseases at the Sacco hospital in Milan, the news of the high contagion of the virus “should not make us fall into depression, also because there are many possibilities that the incoming prophylaxis will also protect against the English strain.” “We do not yet know if this transformation is really influential in terms of the efficacy of the vaccines discovered so far, which will probably also work against the British variant,” Galli emphasizes. According to Walter Ricciardi, scientific advisor to Minister Roberto Speranza, the new variant runs the risk of impacting the increase in cases: “This English variant has already arrived, probably for some time. And this could explain why in some parts of the country it is circulation is been more sustained. “