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The course of the disease is the same, but the infectivity is much higher.
A new form of the virus identified in the UK last week, according to a virologist, is now being seen in other parts of Europe. However, such a large scale as in the UK has not been observed elsewhere.
As the virologist told Delfi rytas, this form of the virus was seen in England precisely because so many different studies have been done. According to Olendraitė, the UK is doing a great deal of research. However, other countries do not carry out such intense research, so we may not know or know very little about other strains of the virus.
“There may be around 5 different strains of coronavirus. However, they are not as different as the types of flu. It will not be the case that another strain of the virus can become infected and the immunity or the vaccine does not work, ”said I. Olendraitė.
According to her, so far it has been observed that this strain causes the same course of the disease as other forms of the virus. However, it is much more contagious: some data shows that approximately 40% is transmitted. faster, others, up to 70 percent.
So every contact avoided is so much more valuable right now. Now we have to be very careful, “said the virologist.
No coronavirus mutation
It is not yet clear whether this mutated virus is already present in Lithuania. However, if this strain has spread in Lithuania a little earlier, there is a high probability that samples taken by scientists from the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center and intended for research also contain the new virus strain. .
The virologist recalled that such coronavirus mutations had existed before. One of them occurred in the spring when an amino acid from the original coronavirus mutated. It is this variety that now dominates the whole world, including Lithuania.
“Such a mutation potentially took place in the spring. There was a lot of concern for her, now we can see that she is getting infected faster, but the number of illnesses had still decreased in the summer. Regardless of the variety, quarantine can stop the spread of the virus, “said I. Olendraitė.
According to the interlocutor, different strains of the virus seem to cause a very similar course of the disease. However, the immune response in humans is very different.
“You can be 20 years old and get a very complicated form of the disease, but you can also be 70 and get sick very easily. Much depends on human genetics and the immune system. Therefore, it is necessary to eat healthy, move, sleep well, – said I. Olendraitė.
– The less we share this virus, the less likely it is to mutate. This virus likely mutated in a person who had been ill for a long time. If the virus spreads less, it will have less chance of reaching people who have been sick for a long time, which means less chance of mutating. “
The virologist also added that the decisions made now are too late, because we will not stop the spread of the virus: But our behavior can help. “
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