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Even as healthcare workers around the world administer the first wave of COVID-19 vaccines in hopes of ending the global pandemic, the rise of viral variants underscores the need for faster vaccine deployment, says Dr Ashish Jha.
The mutations formed new variants that originated in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. All are said to have been found in the United States.
“Variants arise when infections go wild and selection pressures lead to dangerous mutations which can then thrive,” wrote Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. a Twitter thread Thursday evening.
“Each of these countries has had major epidemics before their variants even took off,” he added in a subsequent tweet. “So what are the implications if we ever want to end this pandemic? We must bring (the) pandemic under control everywhere. “
According to Jha, in order to crush virus outbreaks, authorities need to put in place virus control policies, expand testing, wear high-quality masks and “vaccinate the world, now, as fast as possible.”
Jha called for mobilizing a worldwide vaccine manufacturing effort to speed up the rate of dose production.
“In a future where (the) United States is vaccinated but others are not, we may see (the) rise of variants that can infect, cause epidemics here and in other places vaccinated – forcing us to update our vaccines and to vaccinate everyone again, ”he wrote. “This is the nightmarish scenario of an endless pandemic.”
Read the full thread below:
So let’s talk about the origin of the variants and under what circumstances
Variants occur when infections go wild
And selection pressures lead to dangerous mutations which can then flourish
Remember that every infection creates opportunities for “mistakes” – or mutations
2/6
– Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) January 29, 2021
UK, South Africa, Brazil and maybe USA (LA variant is still being sorted)
Each of these countries had major epidemics even before their variants took off.
So what are the implications if we ever want to end this pandemic?
We must bring the pandemic under control everywhere
4/7
– Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) January 29, 2021
In a future where the United States is vaccinated but others are not
We could see an increase in variants that can infect, cause epidemics here and in other places vaccinated
Forcing us to update our vaccines and re-vaccinate everyone
It’s the nightmarish scenario of an endless pandemic
6/7
– Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) January 29, 2021
This is what makes herd immunity advocates (remember the Great Barrington statement?) So naive
They literally pleaded for the virus to have a better chance of mutating
And what makes American isolationist policies so naive
Because we live on one planet
And the variants travel
8/9
– Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) January 29, 2021
Do you want to end the pandemic?
Helps leverage global manufacturing efforts to rapidly manufacture many vaccines
And vaccinate everyone
Because large epidemics anywhere can give rise to variants that can escape vaccines everywhere
At the end of the day we’re really in the same boat
End
– Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) January 29, 2021
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