What is the Brazilian coronavirus strain and what effect could it have on Australia?
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MonMonday 18
JanJanuary 2021 at 11:43am
Brazilian researchers are concerned by the fact the new variant is spreading so quickly and that it shares new characteristics with the UK and South African variants.
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The emergence of a new coronavirus variant in Brazil has led the UK to ban all arrivals from South America.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said officials wanted to avoid the variant to ensure the vaccine rollout program goes ahead as planned. At this crucial stage, what we can t have is new variants with unknown qualities coming in from abroad, Mr Johnson told a press briefing.
The mutation, called E484K, is also present in two of the worrisome new viral variants spreading around the globe those that originated in South Africa and Brazil.
Companies race to develop drugs that stay ahead of coronavirus mutations
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Joseph Walker
, The Wall Street Journal
Covid-19 medicines currently on the market are cumbersome to use, and doctors worry that virus variants could make them less effective
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Drugmakers are racing to develop a new generation of Covid-19 medicines to make them easier to give to patients and to stay ahead of virus mutations that could make some current drugs less effective.
The drugs, known as monoclonal antibodies, are lab-engineered versions of antibodies that simulate the body’s natural immune response to viruses. They are considered among the most promising for preventing infected patients from developing severe or fatal symptoms and keeping them out of the hospital. After catching Covid-19, President Trump was treated with one of the drugs and credited it with his speedy recovery. Doctors say the drugs will continue to be important treatments for the foreseea
New variants of the novel coronavirus from the UK, South Africa and Brazil ay be able to bypass the immune response that COVID-19 survivors have developed and allow for easier reinfection.