Filenews 2 March 2021
After the British and South African variants of the coronavirus, attention is now turning to another.
The Brazilian P.1 variant of coronavirus is 1.4 to 2.2 times more contagious than other variants and also seems capable of escaping to some extent from natural immunity, as it again infects even people who had passed Covid-19 in the past. This is the conclusion of a new study by scientists from Brazil and the USA, who consider it urgent to check the effectiveness of current vaccines against this variant.
The P.1 variant was first detected in November in Brazil and has since gradually spread to about 25 countries. New research by scientists from many universities (Oxford, Imperial London, Sao Paulo, etc.), led by associate professor Nono Faria, which has not yet been published in any scientific journal, according to the Financial Times and the New York Times, estimates that this variant "is capable of escaping from 26% to 61% of those affected by a previous infection with another Covid-19 variant". In other words, an unexpectedly large proportion of those previously infected (from 100 to 25 to 60) may be re-infected by the new variant.
This may be an indication that existing vaccines (mainly Chinese vaccines are used in Brazil) are less effective against it, which should be investigated to what effect it is. The researchers stressed that "studies assessing vaccination effectiveness in real-world conditions against P.1 are urgently needed."
However, Dr Faria said: "We have no indication that so far P.1 will not respond to vaccines, at least to prevent severe disease." "The findings apply to the city of Manaus and I don't know if they have validity in other places," he added.
New Brazilian mutation spreads rapidly
P.1 is spreading rapidly and, for example, in the Brazilian city of Manaus in the Amazon this variant from zero presence in cases reached 87% in only seven weeks at the beginning of January, whereas today it is now almost 100%. Also, according to the new study, new cases are 10% to 80% more likely to lead to death in Manaus after the onset of P.1. It remains unclear, according to the researchers, whether this is because the new variant is more deadly or whether the increased deaths are due to the city's near-collapse health system under tremendous pressure from the increased incidents.
P.1 has a total of more than 17 mutations compared to the original strain of coronavirus detected in the Chinese Wuhan. Three of the mutations involve the spike protein by which the SARS-CoV-2 virus penetrates human cells.
"It's right to be concerned about R.1 and these new findings show us why," said epidemiology professor William Hanitz of Harvard University's School of Public Health. Michael Warobey of the University of Arizona agreed that it is time to pay more attention to the Brazilian variant.
Source: iefimerida.gr
