A new strain of coronavirus in different countries

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

At the end of November, the world was surprised by the news that a new strain of coronavirus had appeared. The information was finally confirmed after the UK went to unprecedented isolation measures, announcing a lockdown in London and several other regions of the country. Such measures were caused by the fact that the kingdom's virologists have identified a new, more contagious lineage of Covid-19, giving it the name VUI-202012/01.

Why the new COVID-19 strain is dangerous

During the second wave of coronavirus infection, which began in mid-autumn, Russia has seen a record increase in human infections. After the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus in England, Russian epidemiologists associated this trend with a new type of already existing infection found in the UK.

Due to the high contagiousness of the mutated SARS-CoV-2, experts predict that the incidence rate may increase by 70% in the near future.

The latest news reports that more than 20 states, including Russia, have suspended flights with the British Kingdom.

A new type of coronavirus infection has already been detected in several countries:

• Germany;
• Denmark;
• The Netherlands;
• Australia;
• SOUTH AFRICA.

Research on the Covid-19 virus continued throughout the pandemic. As a result, in early autumn, scientists identified a strange line with a large number of new coronavirus mutations.

Thanks to such changes, the virus penetrates into the cell much faster, causing the development of an infectious lesion of the respiratory tract and other organs.

Experts were able to isolate 14 mutations with a protein sequence, 3 deletions and 6 dormant mutations that do not cause changes in the structure of the coronavirus genome. It is known that for the first time a new strain of coronavirus was isolated in London and Kent on September 20 and 21.

Features of VUI-202012/01

Scientists point out: changes are rapidly accumulating in the open line of the coronavirus. This indicates that the virus is rapidly adapting to new conditions. So far, no one can explain exactly why this branch was activated in the line of evolutionary selection of Covid-19.

A number of researchers have hypothesized that a new strain of coronavirus appeared in the UK in those patients who suffer from chronic immunodeficiency, or who have undergone immunosuppressive treatment with special drugs containing antibodies. After that, in their opinion, changes and mutations of various species began to accumulate.

Opponents of this version point to a small number of patients with a chronic diagnosis of Covid-19 and a low likelihood that they could become the source of a new, more infectious type of dangerous infection.

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So far, it has been possible to establish that the contagiousness of the new strain of coronavirus has increased by 71%, in China at the beginning of 2020 this was not observed. Today, scientists cannot say how high the mortality rate will be for this branch of Covid-19, since there is little data on mortality so far.

To date, there are 4 deaths among 1000 infected with a new type of strain.

However, despite this, the British government went to unprecedented self-isolation measures, closing the country from the outside world on the eve of the Christmas holidays.

At the same time, it should be noted that so far there is no talk of a new strain of coronavirus in Russia, although we have opened air links with the UK.

What are the prospects

After Europe began to take unprecedented measures and prepare for a lockdown, many Russians are interested in why the virus mutates only in European countries, and how effective the Russian vaccine will be against it.

It is known that for the first time they started talking about a new type of coronavirus infection in the middle of summer, having identified it in Spain. Some British doctors believe that he was brought to the UK by British citizens who went on summer vacations to European seaside resorts.

Despite the fact that there are a huge number of regions in Russia, for the entire time of the pandemic, epidemiologists have not been able to find a new strain of coronavirus in the Urals, Siberia, or the Far East. According to Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after V. I. N. F. Gamalea, while in Russia the existence of 2 varieties of Covid-19 has been officially confirmed. However, the specialist does not reject the possibility that more strains of coronavirus infection can be found in the Russian Federation, as is happening today in European countries.

The head of the institute, which was developing the first anticoid vaccine, Sputnik V, points out that the new types of Covid-19 themselves are not so dangerous. The academician points out that a negative development of events for a person is likely if he is simultaneously infected with several varieties of SARS-CoV-2. In this case, a severe form of infection can develop at an accelerated rate.

With regard to vaccination, Gunzburg noted: the possibility is great that virologists will have to create a new type of vaccine against a specific strain of covid every year, as is the case with influenza vaccines today.

In general, a new strain of coronavirus in the UK, which was discovered back in September, is spreading even faster in the country. For this reason, the authorities decided to close London and the entry of foreigners into their country. In addition to the high infectivity of the new British strain of Covid-19, nothing else is known.

Outcomes

In light of the latest information about the new mutated form of coronavirus infection and the lockdown in European countries, the following should be considered:

1. So far, a huge number of SARS-CoV-2 varieties are spoken only in European countries.
2. In China and Russia, scientists do not detect so many mutations in coronavirus infection.
3. With a high contagiousness, the new type of coronavirus discovered in Britain has not yet shown large statistics on deaths.
4. Russian experts are confident that mass vaccination with a domestic vaccine will help protect the country's population from a dangerous infection.