South African variant crown, “vaccine may not be helpful”

Check-in 2021.01.05 10:36 | Revision 2021.01.05 10:48

It has been argued that the corona 19 variant virus originating in South Africa is more dangerous than the variant virus of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) that emerged in the UK.

British Health Minister Matt Hancock said in an interview with the BBC on the 4th (local time): “I am very concerned about the mutation of South Asia.” On the 23rd of last month, the British government announced an entry ban from South Africa, saying that the mutant virus from South Africa is stronger than the existing virus.

Dr John Bell, a member of the UK government’s Vaccine Working Group, told Times Radio the day before: “I am a little more concerned about the South African mutations than the UK mutations.” Analysis of the genomic data revealed that the mutant virus was associated with a higher “viral load.” Viral load refers to the total amount of virus in the body and is closely related to the possibility of further transmission.

Bell also feared that the South African mutations could not be prevented with the newly developed vaccine. However, he said, “we will not be able to completely neutralize the vaccine,” he said. “If the vaccine is not effective against the mutant (South African) virus, it will develop again within a year.”

The UK mutant virus first appeared in September and now accounts for more than 60% of new confirmed cases in London and surrounding areas. It is known to be 50-70% more contagious than the existing virus and has spread to 33 countries, including Korea.

There are 10 countries in Europe that have been confirmed to have a mutant virus originating from the UK, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. A mutant virus has also been confirmed in Asia, including India, Japan, and Taiwan, and in Latin America, such as Brazil and Chile. In North America, the mutant virus has spread throughout the United States and Canada.

The mutant virus that originates from South Africa is spreading rapidly through the coastal areas of South Africa. In Korea, a confirmed patient came out on the 3rd. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe that the virus may have a stronger transmission power than existing mutant viruses, such as those in the UK.

South African scientists today conducted an urgent experiment to see if a commercially available vaccine would also be effective against the native mutant virus. In South Africa, which has been experiencing a second wave since December last year amid the emergence of the mutant virus, the number of confirmed cases and deaths is increasing faster than the peak of the first wave at the end of last July.