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As changes make up a larger share of global Covid-19 daytime consumption, we need to change our public health policy accordingly. SARS-CoV-2 variants possess a well-documented sports bag. Some are immune, such as those in South Africa and Brazil, while others are much more mobile, such as the United Kingdom variant (B.1.1.7). A recent study from Harvard University’s School of Public Health suggests that B.1.1.7 could even live in human hosts nearly twice as long as non-B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2, which ‘extending the possible infectious period from about eight. days to thirteen days.
The study was conducted in collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the summer of 2020, the NBA began their season after stopping at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The players involved were alone at the Disneyworld resort and underwent a daily Covid-19 test. That practice extended to the recently started 2020-2021 season, and Harvard University took the opportunity to classify the genome of basketball players for research purposes.
The Harvard researchers identified seven samples with B.1.1.7 infection among a group of 65 people with SARS-CoV-2 infection. “For individuals with B.1.1.7, the average duration of the multiplication period was 5.3 days, the average duration of the clearing period was 8.0 days, and the average total duration of the disease was 13.3 days. . These are compared with an average multiplication rate of 2.0 days, an average clearance rate of 6.2 days, and an average infection time of 8.2 days for non-B.1.1.7 virus. “
In addition, maximum viral density for B.1.1.7 was slightly higher than for non-B.1.1.7 patients, copies / ml 8.5 log10 RNA for B.1.1.7 and 8.2 log10 copies RNA / ml for others on average. In other words, the B.1.1.7 patients suffered extended infections with more viral granulomas, as can be seen in the graph above. The overall viral load for those with B.1.1.7 was higher than their non-B.1.1.7 peers on average for a longer period of time.
The extended period of B.1.1.7 appears to be related to the transmission increase. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that B.1.1.7 spreads at 50% the rate of non-B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 potential. The virus changes according to our immune responses, and now, we are seeing the B.1.1.7 able to withstand a human immune response more than 60% longer than previous viruses. Respiratory viruses usually have a shorter lifespan and need to jump from host to host quickly to survive and spread, but this virus will go around for a while. Prolonged infections mean that the virus has a chance of spreading to more people, increasing infections, leading to greater spread, and the positive feedback curve continues.
This is a matter of great concern. As I wrote about Forbes, the CDC recommends that infected people remain in quarantine for 14 days but only need seven or ten days of quarantine based on the individual condition of the patient. If the B.1.1.7 variant affects someone and they only quarantine for seven to ten days, they can go on to make others think they are free. from the virus.
In response to growing concerns about the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants, the Chinese government has increased the required loneliness period to three weeks in recent months. This is more than including the 13.3-day period that Harvard researchers observed from the B.1.1.7 variant.
While the authors of this research focus on transmission, it could also go a long way in understanding violence. Those infected with B.1.1.7 have a higher probability of dying from the disease. Spike protein mutations such as those found in B.1.1.7 increase motility by increasing affinity for the human ACE2 receptor. That may not be the whole story. During the extended period of B.1.1.7 stays inside the host, it needs to look out of the immune system. SARS-CoV-2 specifies immune modulators such as ORF3a, ORF8, and others. These can be altered as the virus lasts longer, resulting in increased morbidity and chance of death.
If we are to control these variables before they become out of hand, we need to change public health policy accordingly. As the Chinese have done, we should extend quarantine requirements to three weeks. Of course, people cannot be unemployed for three weeks without pay. As I have been pleading for months, the federal government needs to provide assistance to those who are alone, financially, as well as medical supplies and shelter if necessary. We also need to further understand how B.1.1.7 and other modifications draw on these risky tricks in terms of avoidance of defense, increased transmission, and promotion of depression.
These data contribute to the growing report around B.1.1.7 and SARS-CoV-2 changes in general. They are dangerous and flexible, becoming more accustomed to the human immune response with all diseases. We also need to change our public health approach to fight back and control these viral variables before we see an immediate recovery of the virus.