What you need to know about mutations in the UK and what they mean for the end of the pandemic

Is there a final surprise for us in 2020?

After a few weeks of study, we gained real-world knowledge of what is happening here, where our fears are realized and where they are not. Both the science of variant and its potential consequences are very interesting, so let’s analyze the current state of research. But first, let me answer the questions I know are in front of your heart. Are you here? Is it in the United States or in Utah? I don’t know the simple answer, so keep reading. I will explain the reason.

How did you discover the new variant?

In Kent County, southeast England, scientists were trying to figure out what was behind the unexpected surge in infection. They sequenced samples from some sick people and found something they didn’t expect — a variant of the coronavirus that is significantly different from what normally spreads in the area.

And it turned out that changes in the virus could be important. In many cases, mutations do nothing in practice. Like typos, the meaning of a genetic language remains the same for one or two different letters. Anyway, the body reads sentences in the usual way.

But in this variant, typos seemed to be really important. One of the mutations has been speculated to help the virus bind to human cells. Another mutation may sometimes help the virus bypass the human immune response.

Aw. If the virus usually gets one or two mutations a month, how did this variant get 17 changes without our knowledge?

In most cases, changes in these viruses die with the individuals involved. After all, long-term COVID-19 patients are usually in the hospital, minimizing the chance of giving it to someone else. However, in this case, the variant seems to have escaped into the world.

What is the difference between a variant and a strain?

Note that we are dealing with a new “variant” of the coronavirus, not a new “strain”. Basically, think of it as follows. The SARS-CoV-2 that caused this pandemic is a different strain from the SARS-CoV-1 virus that caused the 2003 pandemic. The level of mutation found in this virus in the United Kingdom is not important enough to reach the level of the term “strain”.

Does this variant make the coronavirus more contagious?

We still understand it. To do this, we will compare the spread rate of the new variant compared to other variants in the United Kingdom.

Keep in mind that all of these estimates, regardless of number, are based on circumstantial evidence. What’s happening in the UK can be due to other factors. What if the variant first spreads to a group of people, especially social or careless? That may be enough to explain the difference.

Wait a minute! We also found that people with this variant had an average high viral load in their throat. This may partially explain why higher diffusion is seen. People who are sick of the variant can spread more viral particles than usual.

Therefore, although we are not sure, biological mechanisms that increase transmission and epidemiological mechanisms that increase transmission have been proposed, and counting cases shows that transmission is increasing. I think the conclusion that the variant is more contagious is relatively safe, but I would like to do more research to find out exactly how contagious it is.

Do variants cause more serious illness?

However, authorities do provide restrictions. Most people who have undergone a sequence of coronavirus infections are under the age of 60. It’s good not to see this variant killing a huge band of young people, but I’m not sure what will happen to older people.

Is there a new variant in the United States?

We haven’t found it, but it’s due to the strange difference in the number of coronavirus samples we sequence in our country and the United Kingdom. As of Wednesday, the United States has sequenced 37 coronavirus samples during December. In the UK, researchers sequenced 3,774 samples in the same time frame.

Does the vaccine work with new variants?

I think the vaccine will almost certainly work, but I’m sure.

It makes sense to be a little scared. After all, many of the mutations are in the section of the genetic code that creates the viral spike protein. This is also the part that happens to be the target of our vaccine. If the spike changes abruptly, the vaccine can be ineffective.

However, if so, the mutant may also evade the antibodies that are produced when people are infected with the coronavirus. That means that people who are already ill can get sick again. But in the UK, they haven’t seen reinfection. In short, natural antibodies are still working, so there is good reason to think that vaccine antibodies will also work.

Vaccines may not be as effective against this variant as other variants, but we’re talking about percentage points, not game-changing failures. Both Moderna and Pfizer state that their scientists will conduct experiments to find out more.

How do variants affect the late pandemic?

Well, that can cause havoc.

But if new variants begin to spread in the United States and spread faster than immunizing people, current containment measures are not sufficient. The R of 1 becomes about 1.56, and the number of cases begins to double in a few weeks. Without change, they would continue to grow exponentially and our hospital would go too far.

Our hope is that the UK containment efforts have been somewhat successful and that vaccinations can be increased in time to defeat new variants.Giving at least 60% of people a vaccine that is 90% effective Really An effective way to reduce coronavirus in the community.

However, this variant can increase the pressure of vaccination competition. There is no doubt about it. It has always been important to administer to as many people as possible as soon as possible, especially for highly contagious changes in the coronavirus.