[ad_1]
The rapid spread of a new variant of the coronavirus has been the reason for the introduction of strict Level 4 rules in England, Scotland and Wales, while other countries prohibit travel to the UK, reports the BBC.
Why is this new strain of coronavirus a cause for concern? Because it rapidly replaces other versions of the virus and undergoes mutations that affect important parts of it, some of the mutations lead, according to laboratory studies, to increase the virus’s ability to infect, reports Mediafax.
New strains may seem more common simply because they are in the right place at the right time, like London, which only had level 2 restrictions until recently.
How fast does it spread? The new strain was first detected in September. In November, about a quarter of the cases in London were caused by the new variant and now nearly two-thirds of the cases.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new virus could be up to 70% more transmittable.
“Unfortunately, the new strain is out of control. We need to regain control and the only way to do that is to restrict social contacts,” British Health Minister Matt Hancock told Sky News.
“It will be difficult to keep it under control until a vaccine is implemented,” he said, adding that the restrictions could last at least “two months.”
How far did it spread? The variant is believed to have occurred in a patient in the UK or was imported from a country with less capacity to monitor coronavirus mutations. The variant can be found in the United Kingdom, with the exception of Northern Ireland, but it is highly concentrated in London, the south-east and the east of England.
Data from Nextstrain, which monitored the genetic codes of viral samples around the world, suggests that in Denmark and Australia the cases came from the UK. The Netherlands have also reported cases.
A similar variant, which appeared in South Africa, shares some of the mutations, but does not appear to be related to the British version.
Continuous mutation of the coronavirus
Has this happened before? Yes. The virus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, is not the same in most of the world.
The D614G mutation appeared in Europe in February and became the dominant form of the virus worldwide.
Another variant, called A222V, has spread throughout Europe and has been related to summer holidays in Spain.
What is known about the new mutations? An analysis identifies 17 potentially important changes. There have been changes in the protein the virus uses to unlock access to cells in the human body.
The other mutation also occurred, including the famous infected minks. The work of Professor Ravi Gupta of the University of Cambridge suggests that this mutation doubles infectivity, according to laboratory experiments. Studies from the same group suggest that the mutation makes the antibodies in the survivors’ blood less effective at fighting the virus.
Where did he come from? The most likely explanation is that the variant appeared in a patient with a weakened immune system who failed to defeat the virus. Instead, his body became a breeding ground for the virus.
Will vaccines work against the new strain of coronavirus?
There is no evidence to suggest that the mutation makes the infection more deadly, but this will need to be monitored.
However, simply increasing the number of infections would be enough to cause problems for hospitals.
Will vaccines work against the new variant? Almost certainly, at least for now. All three main vaccines develop an immune response against the strain.
Vaccines train the immune system to attack many different parts of the virus, so even if some of them have mutated, vaccines should work.
“But if we let more mutations occur, then we will have to worry. The virus can undo the effects of the vaccine and has taken the first steps in this regard,” said Prof. Gupta.
The new variant shows that the virus continues to adapt as it infects more and more people.
A presentation by Prof. David Robertson from the University of Glasgow concluded: “The virus will probably be able to generate mutations that escape the vaccine. This would put us in a flu-like position, where vaccines need to be updated regularly.
Publisher: GC
