Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research are studying the contagious new mutation of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom to see if it may be resistant to new vaccines, a report said.
Dr. Nelson Michael, director of the Institute’s Center for Infectious Diseases Research, told CNN that while there is always concern that an injection will not work if a virus mutates significantly, the scientists still expect the vaccinations to be effective against the new strain.
It goes without saying that this mutation is not a threat, but you never know. We still have to be diligent and keep looking, ”Michael told the network on Sunday.
The Walter Reed experts began examining genetic sequences of the new British variant posted online by British researchers on Thursday. As a first step, the team performs a computer analysis.
The analysis will allow us to gauge how much care we should have. Other teams around the world are also doing this analysis, ”said Michael.
If the computer analysis is of concern, studies in a lab and on animals should be done to definitively determine whether the vaccines will work on the new variant, CNN said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new holiday lockdowns in parts of the UK on Saturday that have seen the spread of the new mutation.
“There are no indications that the vaccine will be less effective against the new variant. Our experts will continue their work to improve our understanding as soon as possible, ”said Johnson.
Dr. Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, agreed, saying, “Our current working assumption of all scientists is that the vaccine response should be sufficient for this virus.”
Dr. William Schaffner, an adviser to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines, told CNN the vaccines are still useful because viruses are constantly mutating, but usually not in a way that would render an injection useless.
“Even with mutations, the virus remains essentially the same,” said Schaffner. ‘It’s just like a person. I can replace my brown coat with a gray coat, but I’m still Bill Schaffner. I’ve changed something, but I’m still the same person. “
Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister plans to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency committee later Monday, after France closed its borders to arrivals from the UK to stop the spread of the new species.
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Bulgaria were among those who announced widespread restrictions on flights from the country on Sunday.
Canada, India and Poland are among the last countries to discontinue flights from the UK, following the lead of many in Europe.
On Saturday, Johnson announced that he was placing London and the South East of England in a new Tier 4 level of restrictions following a warning from his scientific advisers – using what is widely considered one of the world’s most advanced genome sequencing regimes – that the new variety spread much faster than existing varieties.
He said early indications are that the new variant is 70 percent more transmissible and is driving the rapid spread of new infections in the capital and surrounding areas.
On Sunday, the UK registered a record number of 35,928 new infections every day.
With pole wires