Listed below are some questions and solutions on what’s recognized concerning the virus thus far.
Does it unfold extra simply? Make individuals sicker? Imply that therapies and vaccines gained’t work? Questions are multiplying as quick as new strains of the coronavirus, particularly the one now transferring via England. Scientists say there may be motive for concern however that the brand new strains shouldn’t trigger alarm.
“There’s zero proof that there’s any improve in severity” of COVID-19 from the newest pressure, the World Well being Group’s emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan mentioned Monday.
“We don’t wish to overreact,” the U.S. authorities’s high infectious illness skilled, Dr. Anthony Fauci, instructed CNN.
Fear has been rising since Saturday, when Britain’s prime minister mentioned a brand new pressure, or variant, of the coronavirus appeared to unfold extra simply than earlier ones and was transferring quickly via England. Dozens of nations barred flights from the U.Ok., and southern England was positioned beneath strict lockdown measures.
Listed below are some questions and solutions on what’s recognized concerning the virus thus far.
Q: WHERE DID THIS NEW STRAIN COME FROM?
A: New variants have been seen nearly because the virus was first detected in China almost a 12 months in the past. Viruses typically mutate, or develop small adjustments, as they reproduce and transfer via a inhabitants — one thing “that’s pure and anticipated,” WHO mentioned in an announcement Monday.
“Many of the mutations are trivial. It’s the change of 1 or two letters within the genetic alphabet that doesn’t make a lot distinction within the capacity to trigger illness,” mentioned Dr. Philip Landrigan, a former Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention scientist who directs a worldwide well being program at Boston Faculty.
A extra regarding state of affairs is when a virus mutates by altering the proteins on its floor to assist it escape from medication or the immune system, or if it acquires quite a lot of adjustments that make it very totally different from earlier variations.
Q: HOW DOES ONE STRAIN BECOME DOMINANT?
A: That may occur if one pressure is a “founder” pressure — the primary one to take maintain and begin spreading in an space, or as a result of “tremendous spreader” occasions helped it turn out to be established.
It can also occur if a mutation provides a brand new variant a bonus, similar to serving to it unfold extra simply than different strains which might be circulating, as will be the case in Britain.
“It’s extra contagious than the unique pressure,” Landrigan mentioned. “The rationale it’s changing into the dominant pressure in England is as a result of it out-competes the opposite strains and strikes sooner and infects extra individuals, so it wins the race.”
Moncef Slaoui, the chief science adviser for the U.S. authorities’s COVID-19 vaccine marketing campaign, mentioned scientists are nonetheless working to substantiate whether or not the pressure in England spreads extra simply. He mentioned it’s additionally doable that “seeding” of hidden instances “occurred within the shadows” earlier than scientists began on the lookout for it.
The pressure was first detected in September, WHO officers mentioned.
Q: WHAT’S WORRISOME ABOUT IT?
A: It has many mutations — almost two dozen — and eight are on the spike protein that the virus makes use of to connect to and infect cells. The spike is what vaccines and antibody medication goal.
Dr. Ravi Gupta, a virus skilled on the College of Cambridge in England, mentioned modeling research recommend it could be as much as two occasions extra infectious than the pressure that’s been commonest in England thus far. He and different researchers posted a report of it on an internet site scientists use to rapidly share developments however it has not been formally reviewed or revealed in a journal.
Q: DOES IT MAKE PEOPLE SICKER OR MORE LIKELY TO DIE?
A: “There’s no indication that both of these is true, however clearly these are two points we’ve bought to observe,” Landrigan mentioned. As extra sufferers get contaminated with the brand new pressure, “they’ll know pretty quickly if the brand new pressure makes individuals sicker.”
A WHO outbreak skilled, Maria Van Kerkhove, mentioned Monday that “the data that now we have thus far is that there isn’t a change” within the form of sickness or its severity from the brand new pressure.
Q: WHAT DO THE MUTATIONS MEAN FOR TREATMENTS?
A: A few instances in England increase concern that the mutations in a number of the rising new strains might harm the efficiency of medicine that offer antibodies to dam the virus from infecting cells.
“The research on antibody response are at present beneath approach. We count on leads to coming days and weeks,” Van Kerkhove mentioned.
One drugmaker, Eli Lilly, mentioned that exams in its lab utilizing strains that comprise essentially the most regarding mutation recommend that its drug stays totally energetic.
Q: WHAT ABOUT VACCINES?
A: Slaoui mentioned the presumption is that present vaccines would nonetheless be efficient in opposition to the variant, however that scientists are working to substantiate that.
“My expectation is, this won’t be an issue,” he mentioned.
United Kingdom officers have mentioned “they don’t imagine there may be affect on the vaccines,” Van Kerkhove mentioned.
Vaccines induce broad immune system responses in addition to simply prompting the immune system to make antibodies to the virus, so they’re anticipated to nonetheless work, a number of scientists mentioned.
Q: CAN TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS DO ANY GOOD?
A: Landrigan thinks they will.
“If the brand new pressure is certainly extra contagious than the unique pressure, then it’s very, very wise to limit journey,” he mentioned. “It’ll gradual issues down. Any time you may break the chain of transmission you may gradual the virus down.”
CNN quoted Fauci as saying that he was not criticizing different international locations for suspending journey to England however that he wouldn’t advise the US to take such a step.
The presence or extent of the brand new pressure in the US is unknown presently.
Q: WHAT CAN I DO TO REDUCE MY RISK?
A: Observe the recommendation to put on a masks, wash your fingers typically, preserve social distance and keep away from crowds, public well being specialists say.
“The underside line is we have to suppress transmission” of all virus strains that may trigger COVID-19, mentioned the WHO’s director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“The extra we permit it to unfold, the extra mutations will occur.”
Related Press writers Christina Larson in Washington and Candice Choi in New York contributed to this report.
The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives help from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Division of Science Training. The AP is solely answerable for all content material.