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The mutated coronavirus is believed to be up to 70 percent more contagious than the previously dominant variant. It is not yet clear whether it is more or less fatal, but it has been preliminarily confirmed that the vaccines approved so far also protect against the new variant.
On Tuesday morning, the most contagious virus circulated in several other countries besides Great Britain: Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Australia, as well as in the British territory of Gibraltar on the southern coast of Spain.
So these are countries where the presence of the new virus variant has been confirmed. But the list will soon be much longer.
This, in turn, is due to the fact that most other countries study the DNA of the virus to a much lesser degree than the British, where around 10 percent of all positive tests are examined in detail.
In other words, the mutated virus may already be present in several other countries without being detected.
– Why shouldn’t it be so in Germany as well ?, says Christian Drosten, virologist at the Charité Hospital in Berlin, for example to Deutsche Welle.
Pasi Penttinen, The infection control expert at the EU agency ECDC, says that a widespread spread in Europe “cannot be ruled out”. Therefore, ECDC urges all countries to analyze the DNA of more test results as soon as possible to trace any spread of the new variant.
More than 40 countries, including most of the EU Member States, have stopped entering from the UK. In the case of Sweden, the border with Denmark will also be closed.
But the measures are scattered: they apply to different means of transport and extend over different periods of time, from 48 hours onwards until the end of January. Sweden is among the most cautious countries and will stop entering until January 21.
Meet on Tuesday 27 EU ambassadors in Brussels to coordinate actions if possible. But health problems are really on the table of national governments.
However, swift and energetic measures are being introduced. Still, they may be unsuitable, if it turns out that the mutated virus has already migrated to several countries.
Furthermore, no one has so far proposed closing the borders with the other countries where the new variant has been discovered, with the exception of the Swedish decision on the border with Denmark.
In the United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has introduced stricter rules against the spread of the infection in the worst affected areas, including London. Actions described as a “Christmas canceled”.
But several of the government’s own experts believe that is not enough and, in practice, they demand a new closure at the national level.
Epidemiology professor John Edmunds, a member of the government’s covid council interviewed on BBC radio news Tuesday morning, says the mutated virus is likely to be found everywhere in the country, not just London and the southeastern England.
– Unfortunately, I think we will have to introduce stricter restrictions across the country.
Across europe Governments have relaxed restrictions to give people the opportunity to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. But there is a great risk that those reliefs will be removed when the mutated virus is found in other countries.
Because even if vaccination starts already during the week, flock immunity is advanced by several months in most European countries.
In that situation, allowing a 70 percent more contagious variant of the virus to spread is likely a red curtain for most governments. Therefore, many, as the Swedish government appears to do, may take the mutated virus as income for a new and stricter infection control strategy.
Read more:
Katrine Marçal: The virus causes Boris Johnson to cancel Christmas in the United Kingdom
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Several countries are easing restrictions over the Christmas weekend
