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General news for Sunday 31 January 2021
Source: huffpost.com
2021-01-31
Ghana has confirmed cases of novel variant of coronavirus
Over the past month, news of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 has surfaced around the world: first in the UK, then in South Africa and Brazil. Now these strains are in the United States.
The reports are disturbing. Many of us were hoping for better days at last, thanks to the rollout of the vaccine and a slight drop in positivity rates in this country. Instead, infectious disease experts warn the next six to 14 weeks could be the pandemic’s “darkest” time if we’re not careful.
We have been thrown back into a period of real scientific uncertainty, but that’s not bad news either. Having trouble understanding what’s going on? Here are four common myths about COVID-19 variants – and some details on what we know (and don’t) so far:
Myth # 1: COVID-19 variants surprised health experts
The recent explosion in media coverage related to COVID-19 variants may make it seem like these strains have appeared unexpectedly. But this type of situation is not new. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains, “Viruses are constantly changing by mutation, and new variants of a virus should appear over time.”
Since the start of the pandemic, health officials have been poised for new strains to develop and spread.
“The variants are not unexpected,” said Priya Soni, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She added that COVID-19 actually appears to mutate at a slower rate than other viruses, such as the seasonal flu.
That said, the fact that some of these variants have spread widely at this point suggests that they existed before health officials really noticed. This is in part because the genomic sequencing of the virus has not happened enough.
“Although the initial UK variant was detected in November, it appears that most viruses circulating in the UK are currently this predominant variant – up to 60%,” Soni said. “This tells us that the variants were around much longer before we discovered them.”
The CDC also notes that some variants, like the strain discovered in South Africa, appeared months before they began to receive international media coverage.
Myth # 2: COVID-19 variants are more dangerous
At this time, no one really knows if the newer variants are more likely to cause serious illness or death.
Recently, UK officials suggested that the variant could be more deadly than the original virus, which went against their initial assessment that the variant was simply more contagious. Providing this new version, the UK Scientific Director gave an example: if 1,000 men aged 60 and over were infected, the original virus would likely kill around 10, while the new variant could kill 13 or more. 14.
But that could simply be because more and more people are infected since the variants are more transmissible, not because the strains themselves are the cause of the deaths. The new variants “spread more easily and faster than other variants – which can lead to more cases of COVID-19,” according to the CDC. This could lead to more hospitalizations and possibly more deaths.
Do experts expect other variants may emerge as the pandemic continues? but they won’t necessarily be worse.
“In general, the way the variants evolve over time is that they become more infectious and less virulent,” said Eric Vail, director of the molecular pathology program at Cedars-Sinai. He added that viruses don’t want to kill their hosts because they want to keep spreading.
“It’s less likely that a more lethal form will evolve,” he says.
Myth # 3: Our current vaccines don’t work against COVID-19 variants
At this point, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines (which are the only ones currently approved for use in the United States) appear to protect to some extent against known variants of COVID-19.
Moderna and Pfizer both said their vaccines were less potent against the South African strain. This is not, however, the same as saying these vaccines don’t work – or even work well. Additionally, the two drugmakers are working on boosters that they hope will be even more effective in combating COVID-19 variants.
New data on the one shot COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, which could be available in the coming weeks, suggests that it is not as effective against the South African variant. (But again, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work at all.)
Overall, doctors and researchers are really hopeful that drugmakers can quickly pivot and adapt to new variants as they emerge, especially as mRNA vaccines are emerging. more programmable.
“As these are mRNA vaccine platforms, changes to the vaccine as mutations occur can be made quite quickly due to our ability to sequence specific mutations in real time,” Soni said. .
So plan to get the shot every time you get one, urged Vail. “Do not wait. Don’t say, “Oh, I’ll wait for the recall,” he said. “Get it when you can.”
Myth # 4: We can’t stop these variants – or futures – from spreading.
Yes, the new COVID-19 variants are definitely spreading rapidly, both around the world and possibly here in the U.S. The CDC has warned that the UK variant could be the predominant strain in that country by March.
It might sound quite surprising, but there are known ways to alleviate it. Any protection strategies that helped fight the original strain of the virus can also help prevent the spread of variants.
“There is a real capacity to prevent the spread of this virus,” Vail said, highlighting proven measures such as wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing. Health officials like Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease expert, say now is the time to double-mask, which can create a stronger shield against viral particles.
Our most powerful tool is the vaccine. So again, make sure you get the vaccine as soon as possible. The general public may be vaccinated by this summer.
“We’re in a race with the COVID-19 variants, and our tanks are the vaccines,” Soni said. “Ultimately, if we can speed up the mass vaccination process, we can win the race and thus limit the potential implications of these variants.”
Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available at the time of publication, but directions may change as scientists find out more about the virus. Please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most recent recommendations.
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