Filenews 15 February 2021
The Government of South Africa postponed the vaccination process of the population with the AstraZeneca formulation, considering that there is insufficient data on its effectiveness against the mutation "born" in that country. The company and Boris Johnson have assured that there is no problem, at least with regard to the serious forms of COVID-19, while a "vote of confidence" was rushed by both the European Medicines Agency and the French health minister. So did the WHO, which called on African countries to use it widely.
Scientists, for their part, do not risk making safe assessments and predictions, largely continuing to progress in uncharted areas, sometimes even in the "blind". Thus, they stress that while mutations make the virus more aggressive and contagious, this does not necessarily mean that they make it more deadly. In any case, they point out that the faster the vaccinations progress and the larger part of the population, the easier it will be to limit and control the – normal and expected – mutations.
Most likely, then, the landscape will remain cloudy for some longer, possibly even years. Until it is clear, it is good and useful, if anything, to know what is today the "map" of the most important mutations in the strains of the crown, with the help of the "Washington Post".
China's mutation - D614G
It is the first mutation detected; now in the ranks of scientists is known simply as "G". It was detected in China in January 2020 and soon appeared in the US and Europe, and very quickly it was ubiquitous, which leads to the conclusion that it has been taken into account in the development of vaccines. Some scientists – not all, however – consider this strain to be much more contagious than the original, as it has 4-5 times more pins on its surface.
The South African mutation - B.1.351
The mutation was discovered in South Africa in early October and officially announced in December. Since then, cases have been detected in about 25 countries. It appears to have some elements in common with the mutant strain identified in Britain, and is probably more contagious - but not more lethal, according to existing data. According to some U.S. officials, it is more resistant to antibody therapies. As regards the effectiveness of the various vaccines in this strain, almost all companies admit that this is – at least – smaller.
Britain's mutation - B.1.1.7
The strain was first identified in the London area and in the County of Kent last September. Its spread to neighbouring countries – Denmark, Ireland, etc. – has been rapid since December, and is now appearing in dozens of countries. The AMERICAN CDC, in fact, estimates that this strain may be prevalent in the US in March. It seems to be clearly more contagious, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed it may be more dangerous. However, the evidence so far leads to the conclusion that existing vaccines effectively protect against it.
The Brazilian mutation - R.1
The strain first appeared in the Rio area last July. Since then it has appeared in many countries and even in several alternative forms, some of which concern the spike protein, with which the virus attaches to cells. There is also some evidence that antibodies may not recognize him, which means that someone may become sick again. This side made Moderna announce that it will develop a new vaccine adapted to this mutation.
The Mutation of Denmark - L452R
She made her first appearance in Denmark about a year ago, in March 2020. This strain has made its presence particularly noticeable in the US and has been linked to flare-ups of the pandemic in aged care units, correctional institutions and a hospital in Northern California. There is no evidence that it is more contagious or lethal, but there are fears that it may be more resistant to vaccines, as the mutation concerns the spike protein.
The 'Eeek' mutation - E484K
It can also be classified as a mutation within the mutation. It's not exactly a new strain, as it has appeared several times since the onset of the pandemic, as scientists worry, especially since it began to coincide with other, more contagious strains, such as the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Its specificity is that it mutates the spike protein, which is also the target of vaccines. Thus, when combined with other mutated strains, it can help the virus stay "invisible" and weaken the immunization of the human body. As far as the effectiveness of vaccines is concerned, there is still no clear picture. However, a study in South Africa showed that there are patients who had been ill with the "classic" strain, who were diagnosed positive a second time after being exposed to this mutation.
Source: news.in.gr
