It’s the most 2020 thing imaginable: a mutant attack leading up to Christmas.
Just as the long-awaited coronavirus vaccines arrived, bringing hope for the end of the global pandemic, a new, more contagious mutation of COVID-19 started raging ‘out of control’ in much of the UK – with traces that were already found in several other countries. .
Within days of his discovery, the British Prime Minister was forced to effectively cancel Christmas by announcing a strict lockdown in London and the surrounding areas.
It didn’t take long for several other countries to rush to close their borders to the UK.
In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo admitted that fear of the mutant species crossing the Atlantic keeps him awake at night.
“At the moment, this variant is boarding a plane in the UK and flying to JFK,” Cuomo warned on Sunday about the lack of controls on British flights. “Literally six flights a day. And only one person is needed. “
But amid all the fear and uncertainty, The Post has unpacked what we know about the new coronavirus strain.
What is the new strain of COVID-19 and where did it originate?
The variant – catchily named SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 – was first discovered after an unexpected spike in COVID-19 cases in the UK in early December.
It was soon associated with more than 1,000 new infections in the London area, as British Health Secretary Matt Hancock blamed it for “very sharp, exponential increases” in cases.
Scientists immediately worried that the new strain could be more contagious, because the 17 mutations contain changes in the “spike” protein – the part of the virus that makes it contagious.
Those fears were realized on Dec. 19 when Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered an unexpected last-minute lockdown – revealing that the new variant appeared to be at least 70 percent more transferable.
Scientists have yet to confirm exactly where – or how – it originated, with backward tracing suggesting it has gone unnoticed since September. However, it is believed to have evolved in the UK.
“There is no data to indicate it was imported from abroad, so it probably evolved in the UK,” Nick Loman, professor of microbial genomics at the University of Birmingham, told a briefing last week, according to the British Medical Log. .
Nine cases of the same variant have been reported in Denmark, while one case has been found in Australia and another in the Netherlands, Catherine Smallwood, Senior Emergency Officer for Europe for the World Health Organization (WHO), told the BBC.
Several other countries have also reported confirmed variants that “carry some of the genetic changes in the UK,” Smallwood added, with a similar mutation blamed on a increase in the number of cases in South Africa.
Is the COVID vaccine effective against the new strain?
Since both the mutation and vaccination rollout are such recent developments, it’s too early to know if the shots can stop the new mutation.
Vivek Murthy, surgeon candidate for President-elect Joe Biden, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on December 20 that there is “no reason to believe that the vaccines developed will also be ineffective against this virus.”
British leaders have shared the same message.
However, the US government’s chief science adviser for vaccine distribution, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, admitted that the possibility that new strains will be resistant is not “non-existent”.
One concern for scientists is that there are so many changes in this mutation – 17 – including changing the proteins on the surface that would help it escape drugs or the immune system.
And “emerging evidence” suggests this may be starting to happen with the new coronavirus, Trevor Bedford, a biologist and genetics expert at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, wrote on Twitter.
Even if the vaccine works, such constant changes suggest that vaccines may need to be updated “Regularly”, he warned.
How is the UK dealing with the new COVID strain?
The UK quickly alerted the WHO and also immediately engaged a specialist group of scientists from the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium for research.
But just six days before Christmas, Johnson did the unthinkable – effectively canceling the holiday with a tough top-level lockdown for much of England.
The level 4 restrictions mandated that non-essential shops, hairdressers, and leisure and entertainment venues close at midnight on December 19 – while people were told to stay at home and households were not allowed to mix.
Johnson’s announcement, which came just days after he said Christmas restrictions would be “downright inhumane,” showed how seriously he took the threat.
It also sparked wild panic among locals to try to flee the midnight deadline – and a wave of countries announcing travel bans and blocked borders.
On December 21, Johnson called an emergency meeting of his ministers amid warnings that the lockdowns could even be extended.
He also negotiated with countries that closed borders to ensure that the British could import food for festive celebrations.
Should we be concerned about the new COVID mutation?
Cuomo made no secret of his concern for New Yorkers.
“Right now, this variant is boarding a plane in the UK and flying to JFK,” the governor said on December 20, a day after the UK announced its ultra-strict lockdown.
“Literally six flights a day. And it only takes one person, ”he said.
“This is reprehensible to me because this is what happened in the spring,” the governor continued, blaming the untamed early spread of the New York contamination to travelers from Europe, rather than directly from the original epicenter in New York. Wuhan, China.
Markets also appeared concerned, with US stocks plunging in fears on Dec. 20.
However, the US has not recommended any UK travel restrictions so far.
I think we’re waiting for recommendations from the CDC. So last night, when I spoke to Dr. (Robert) Redfield, there was no recommendation for that, ”US Assistant Secretary of Health Administrator Brett Giroir told CNN Monday.
But Giroir added that “we get more information every hour” and that “anything is possible.”
Meanwhile, Surgeon General nominee Murthy also stressed that “we have no evidence yet that this is a more deadly virus strain” – or one that would withstand vaccines.
Still, it’s still in its infancy and at the very least confirms the need for vigilance, experts say.
“The message we’re taking home right now is that we need more information,” Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina, told the Washington Post.
“In the meantime, we all really need to redouble our public health measures – wear masks, keep physical distance, avoid crowds.”
With pole wires