The new variant is being called VUI-202012/01 – the first “variant under investigation” in the UK in December 2020. When scientists are looking for more information about this type, the effect is already being felt.
Travelers from the UK are now banned by several countries. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday that the type was “out of control” and that Prime Minister Boris John chaired an emergency meeting on Monday as his government tried to manage costs.
Here’s what you need to know.
U.S. Department of Disease Control and Prevention According to the centers, one type changes when the genetic makeup of the virus changes. All viruses mutate over time and new variants are common, including the novel coronavirus.
Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said this particular type “includes 23 different variations”, which he described in unusually large numbers. Whitty said the variant was responsible for 60% of new infections in London, which has almost doubled in the past week alone.
It has immediate effects for detecting virus control. More cases can also put more strain on hospitals and health care personnel, as they enter the already difficult times of winter and eventually lead to more deaths.
Where did the variant start and how was it captured?
According to the World Health Organization, a new type of Covid-19 has appeared in south-east England.
PHE said tracing, using genetic evidence, suggests that the variant first emerged in England in September. It then rotated to a very low level until mid-November.
“The increase in cases involving the new variant first came to light in late November when the PHE was investigating why there is an infection rate in Kent. [in southeast England] Were not declining despite national sanctions. We then found a cluster attached to this variant that spread rapidly in London and Essex, ”PHE said.
Multiple experts have also suggested that this new form could be changed due to the superspider phenomenon, meaning that the current spike in cases may also be due to human behavior.
“Genetic genomic growth rates in sequential samples may not mean high transmissibility, for example, if there were thousands of people throbbing where most of them were infected in the rave, it would be much higher than that,” he said. The lower background of the non-variant virus, clinical virologist Julian Tange told the Science Media Center.
Which countries are affected?
The variant has already spread globally. According to the WHO, this variant has also been found in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia.
Australia Australia has identified two cases of variants in the quarantined area of Sydney and Italy has also identified one patient infected with the variant.
A different but distinct strain has also been identified in South Africa, where scientists say it is spreading rapidly in the country’s coastal areas.
Is the new look more deadly?
At the current stage, there is no evidence to suggest the new form is more lethal, according to Whitey, who said “immediate work” is underway to investigate the implications for mortality on Saturday.
“We do not see any increased virulence (clinical severity) or any gross change [spike protein] It will reduce the effectiveness of vaccinations – so far, “Tang told the Science Media Center (SMC).
Multiple experts have pointed out that increased transmissibility for some viruses can be accompanied by reduced virus and mortality. This may mean that the variable is less lethal, although it is too early to say at this point.
“The new virus adapts to the new host over time – with a reduction in mortality and possibly increasing transmissibility,” Tang said.
“As the virus becomes infected, it chooses for the growing success of the virus, which changes the properties of the virus over time. This usually leads to more transmission and less virulence,” said Martin Hibbard, a professor of infectious disease filling potential ecti. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, S.M.C.
Will developed vaccines work against this variant?
VT said on Saturday that existing vaccines should still work against the new variant.
His remarks came as U.S. The operation was resounding with the speed of the head. “So far, I don’t think there has been a single type that will be resistant to the vaccine,” Monsef Sloan told CNN on Sunday. “We can’t exclude him, but he’s not there anymore.”
The UK, US and EU have authorized the Pfizer / Bioentech Covid-19 vaccine and several others are in development.
What steps are being taken to accommodate the variant?
The chief medical officer of England has urged people in Britain to take steps to reduce the spread of the virus.
“Given these recent developments, it is now more important than ever for people to take action to reduce transmission in their place,” Whitty said Saturday.
In large parts of England, including London and the South East, there are now strict Tier 4 Covid-19 restrictions, a recent disruption to the epidemic-ridden Christmas holiday.
Dozens of countries in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas have also announced travel bans for the UK.
Others, such as Greece and Spain, have imposed restrictions that require passengers coming from Britain to undergo coronavirus tests or quarantine.
America’s top infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fawcett told CNN on Monday that he would be able to advise against additional restrictions on UK travel. The U.S. must “keep an eye on it,” Fauci said.
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