Vaxx Populi
There s a new strain of COVID-19. Will the vaccines work against it?
Vaxx Populi: The mutations identified in England affect the virus s crucial spike protein, but so far scientists expect the vaccines will protect against the new variant.
December 17, 2020 This transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. (Photo by: IMAGE POINT FR/NIH/NIAID/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
On Dec. 14, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that the government “has identified a new variant of coronavirus, which may be associated with the faster spread in the southwest of England.” Hancock said that more than 1,000 cases of this new-variant COVID-19 have already been detected in southeastern England, and similar variants have been identified in other countries recently, as well.
The new strain of coronavirus spreading through Britain has a striking amount of mutations, scientists have claimed.
Members of the UK s Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK), who have been investigating the evolved strain, say they have uncovered 17 alterations, which they described as a lot .
Many of the changes have occurred on the virus s spike protein, which it uses to latch onto human cells and cause illness.
Alterations to the spike are significant because most Covid vaccines in the works, including Pfizer/BioNTech s approved jab, work by targeting this protein.
It is feared these changes could also stop people from becoming immune if they have been infected with a different strain previously.
UK s Christmas bubble chaos: Wales slashes Boris s three household limit to two as Sturgeon tells people NOT to stay overnight and orders families to meet for just ONE day- despite PM claiming unanimous backing for his plan for five-day rule relaxation
Government ministers say up to three households can still mix over Christmas, despite spike in Covid cases
But people will be warned to think twice before meeting elderly or vulnerable family members for Christmas
Families will also be warned to stay local amid fears of traffic chaos on roads and trains packed with people
It comes as Nicola Sturgeon considers different rules for Scotland at Christmas, putting UK-wide rules at risk
New Covid-19 strain features 17 mutations sparking fears vaccine won t work
The new variant features 17 alterations to the original coronavirus strain, many of them to the virus s spike protein which vaccines are being developed to target
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