Guidance on what you need to know

Viruses suffocate all the time and it is no surprise to experts that the coronavirus that came out in China in late 2019 has gone through a number of shocks as the virus reproduces and spreads. spread.

But a new strain of the virus that has emerged in South Africa is causing concern. Similar to a variant found in the UK a few months ago, the one that has emerged in South Africa proves to be far more portable.

While they are able to spread more easily, so far, scientists do not believe that a new version is either more lethal. But being more mobile means more people are getting infected, which could mean more dangerous infections and more deaths as a result.

Questions are now being raised as to whether the coronavirus vaccines developed at a rapid pace in the past year, with the most advanced devices like the ones developed by Pfizer-BioNTech , Moderna and Oxford University and AstraZeneca, are effective against major mutations of the virus, such as the one identified in South Africa.

While scientists believe that the UK variant is unlikely to affect the effectiveness of vaccines currently being distributed in the West, there is more uncertainty about the nature of South Africa.

Experts want to say that there are still many who do not know about the new snoring, although they and the UK are being investigated, and are urging people not to panic. Here’s what we know so far:

On December 18, South Africa announced the discovery of a new strain of the coronavirus that was spreading rapidly in three regions of the country, and that was becoming mainstream in the Eastern Cape, Western regions. Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.

South Africa named the variant “501Y.V2” because of the N501Y mutation found in the spike protein that the virus uses to enter cells inside the body. This mutation, among others, was also found in the new snoring announced by the UK in December (but which was due to be circulated from September) with the pair seen as increasing the susceptibility of the virus, leaving it more widespread.

With authorities in the UK and South Africa warning the World Health Organization (WHO) of the new mutations in December – both countries are notorious for their genomic sequence, or “surveillance” of the virus – the WHO noted -near although the two variants were found in the UK (named “VOC-202012/01,” with VOC standing for “Variant of Concern”) and South Africa sharing the N501Y mutation, they are inter- different.

The variant in South Africa carries two other mutations in the spike protein (E484K and K417N, among others) that are not present in UK snoring, and experts said these could affect how Covid-19 vaccines work.

Some experts and health officials are concerned about the South African variant, now more widely known as “501.V2.” To date, it has only been found in a handful of cases, WHO noted. near Tuesday, although it was in a growing number of countries including the UK, France, Switzerland, Japan, Austria and Zambia.

Several countries have banned flights from South Africa (and the UK) as a result of the new versions of the virus in an effort to stop its spread.

Earlier this week, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the variance found in South Africa is particularly worrying. “I am deeply concerned about the diversity of South Africa, which is why we have done what we have done to prevent all flights from South Africa,” he told the program. today “the BBC Monday.

“This is a big, very important problem … and it’s even bigger than the new version in the UK,” he said, without further explanation.

On Tuesday, former FDA CEO Dr. Scott Gottlieb warned that American vaccination against Covid is more urgent than ever, especially as the new South African strain appears to be inhibition of antibody drugs, and that it spreads elsewhere.

“The South African situation is very worrying right now because it looks like it could block some of our medical drugs, especially the antibody drugs,” Gottlieb told “The News with Shepard Smith” at CNBC Tuesday.

“Right now that snoring seems to be common in South America and Brazil, the two parts of the world, right now, that have their summers, but are also suffering from a serious disease. , and that is a cause for concern. ”

For its part, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted Sunday that scientists are studying the variables “to better understand how easily they can be transmitted. and whether currently authorized vaccines protect people against them. “

“Currently, there is no evidence that these changes cause more severe illness or increased risk of death. New information on the virologic, epidemiologic, and clinical features of these variables is rapidly emerging. , “he said.

As countries scramble to kickstart vaccination programs, or to accelerate those already underway, such as the UK, experts have noted that one of the biggest potential impacts is Emerging changes have the potential to “avoid natural immunity or immunization.”

“Both antiviral vaccines and natural infections with SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus) trigger a ‘polyclonal’ response targeting several components of the spike protein. The virus appears to require several mutations. accumulated in the spike protein to avoid immunization or with natural disease, “the CDC noted Sunday in its summary of emerging variables.

The ability to avoid immunity from vaccination is, for the CDC, the most likely side effect of emergency seizures “because once a large proportion of the population is vaccinated, there will be pressure a defense that could favor and accelerate these changes by opting for ‘escape mutants.’ “

The CDC confirmed, however, that “there is no evidence that this is happening, and most experts believe that fleeing mutants are unlikely to emerge due to the nature of their mutations. virus. “

How did it start?

It is not clear how and where these changes took place, experts confirm, noting that it is unfair to blame countries for mutations, as they could have come from anywhere but have been detected by certain countries “looking for them,” ie those that monitor for viruses and are therefore likely to receive more mutations.

The UK variant, for example, was discovered by the ‘Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium,’ which undertakes random genetic sequences of advanced Covid-19 models across the UK Since its inception in April 2020, the consortium has traced 170,256 virus genomes to humans known as Covid-19. It uses the data to track outbreaks and identify variable viruses, and publishes its data on a weekly basis.