New Covid Variant - B.1.1.529

[JP_]

Rep[orts of a new, much more contagious, covid variant - officially #B11259, it has come out of Africa. You know, the place where some people here said was not affected by covid, thus proving vaccines are pointless.

So, it seems that maybe vaccines were needed in Africa, as these mutations can only happen when the virus is left to rampage through the population.

"Senior scientists on Thursday evening described B.1.1.529 as the worst variant they had seen since the start of the pandemic. It has 32 mutations in the spike protein, the part of the virus that most vaccines use to prime the immune system against Covid. That is about double the number associated with the Delta variant. Mutations in the spike protein can affect the virus’s ability to infect cells and spread, but also make it harder for immune cells to attack the pathogen." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/25/what-do-we-know-about-the-new-worst-ever-covid-variant

 

[AngleEyes]

For once, well done to UK for such a speedy response on travel restrictions, except experts suggest even that was too late.
While this virus is allowed to continue circulating we will always have the potential for new more deadlier strains appearing.
Only a collaborative global approach to eradicating the virus will be effective.
The current "every country for itself" selfish approach will be the downfall of us all.

The same applies to climate change and migration issues.

 

[Doug99]

Scarlets and Cardiff rugby regions are already out in SA to play rugby this weekend. Probably panicking now to rush back before the deadline.

 

[JP_]

Starting to worry for Christmas ... not looking good out there. Cases rising across the UK

 

[charliegolf]

Starting to worry for Christmas ... not looking good out there. Cases rising across the UK

Not in my town they aren't.

 

[ajohn]

They don't currently really know what this mutation means. It takes a while to see what changes, infection rates and deaths etc.

The spike protein is what causes us grief. Change too much and it can provide more or less grief. Usually more infective ones win as more people catch them which means yet even more get infected. There are currently 15 variants being monitored and a number removed as now extinct. Lots of those.

What the vaccine does with them - takes even longer to find out.

Forgot - Yet more smoking gun reporting when no one knows what it means. One thing for sure is that it's there and nothing can be done about that or the eventual results

 

[transam]

There is a case of this new variant in Belgium

Chinese started it all off now we have some super strain coming out of Africa


Yes exactly foreigners

 

[ajohn]

There is a case of this new variant in Belgium

Chinese started it all off now we have some super strain coming out of Africa


Yes exactly foreigners

Once a new one has been found it will have spread. Chances of it not doing so with people travelling around are remote.

What sort of strain it is - no one knows yet. Many do not change anything at all.

 

[ellal]

Rabid jabbers will be frothing at the mouth thinking of their next 'fix'...

But the question has to be asked...

If the 'virus' mutates as we are told it does, what is the best solution...

A jab every 6 months for ever and ever, or let the human immune system adapt?

 

[ajohn]

A jab every 6 months for ever and ever, or let the human immune system adapt?

That took rather a long time to get where it has and still doesn't cope with all things that are about but vaccination helps a lot with that.
Some immunity as it's wrongfully called lasts. Some doesn't. There are now too many reinfections that show that way of gaining doesn't last either.

A really worrisome variant may crop up here. What better place to for one to crop up where vaccines have less effect. Equally well one could turn up that kills every one that hasn't been vaccinated.

One thing for sure is that ICU's have far more unvaccinated people in them at the moment and given numbers there are still lots who may experience that. LOL The TV adds to encourage people amuse me. Some one with an accent that is far from upper class.Very far from. Just goes to show what they assume about people who are reluctant.

 

[Justin Passing]

They're saying the new SA variant has a surprising number of mutations. If the spike changes a lot there can be more complexity about the site for attack ("ACE-2") which affects transmission, as happened with Delta. Many of the new mutations are ones we've seen before, but not together, Semple says .
Also 20 further mutations (not in the spike).
The spike is the bit which allows the virus in. It causes much of the subsequent problems but not all, and there's much still being worked on.
I don't think we should be surprised to see the age response, for example, change somewhat at some point.

What happened to those initial Pf claims that the vaccine could be tweaked? I'd have thought they could have changed it to fit Delta better by now.

Being more optimistic, it's possible that the new variant(s) may be highly contagious but less damaging, in which case they can dilute the existing strains but still promote production of useful natural antibodies .

Nothing wrong with the word "immunity". It's a variable property though not an absolute. The immune response works using antibodies, which have actions at various stages of the disease which can be more or less effective at stopping undesirable things.

 

[Justin Passing]

Rabid jabbers will be frothing at the mouth thinking of their next 'fix'...

Rabid troll.

But the question has to be asked...

If the 'virus' mutates as we are told it does, what is the best solution...

A jab every 6 months for ever and ever, or let the human immune system adapt?

It does not have to be asked, because it's a stupid simpleton question. Both the courses of action posited are silly.

 

[ajohn]

Nothing wrong with the word "immunity".

There is with some people hopefully few.Vaccines do not prevent people from catching what ever. They improve outcomes and can reduce infection of others as the immune system reacts more quickly. Like many aspects that will take some time to tie down completely but is usually what happens.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I see the new variant has been named 'Omicron'.

Why?

Or did they not tell us about all the ones in between after Delta?

 

[ajohn]

I see the new variant has been named 'Omicron'.

Why?

Or did they not tell us about all the ones in between after Delta?

Seems it stands for some Greek letter as did delta.