New coronavirus variant

[JimF]

This gives an overview of what is known thus far:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55388846

[toTOW]

It has arrived in France !

[Neil-B]

Tbh it has probably arrived in many countries alreafy just not tracked properly .. and it is possible that the UK may not have been the first simply the first where the testing setup is such that new variants get identified quickly .. Once a new variant is identified testing elsewhere is adjusted and it begins to get tracked better

[JimF]

South Africa has become the first country on the continent to register more than one million Covid-19 cases. It comes just days after authorities confirmed that a new, faster-spreading, coronavirus variant had been detected.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55462863

[TPL]

It has been found in Finland too. Also in South Korea, Jordan, Canada, Portugal, Norway, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Spain, Singapore, Japan, Nigeria, Australia, Lebanon and South Africa. So far. There is a reason to believe it is everywhere, not just found everywhere yet. For those who believe it starts to be over as there are now vaccines, its not not by far.

[foldy]

First vaccines work great and corona virus mostly die after more people get the vaccine. Then virus mutates and probably finds a way to workaround vaccine. Then we need new modified vaccine for next winter.

[JimF]

Then virus mutates and probably finds a way to workaround vaccine. Then we need new modified vaccine for next winter.

That is why we need the anti-virals, to hold us between vaccines. If you engineer them properly, they will work on a broad range of viruses and not be restricted to a particular strain.
But I am puzzled why there really are none. There were dozens proposed earlier that seemed to work OK in the lab, and then they disappeared. I hope Folding can find something that works.

[gunnarre]

There were several compounds which looked promising in theory or even in in-vitro assays, like Hydroxychloroquine, but which didn't improve clinical outcomes in actual patients. So the compounds that are simulated via Folding@Home still need to be tested in animals and in actual clinical trials before we know for sure that they both work on the virus and aren't toxic to the patient.

[JimF]

Scientists at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine have discovered a new variant of SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The new variant carries a mutation identical to the U.K. strain, but it likely arose in a virus strain already present in the United States. The researchers also report the evolution of another U.S. strain that acquired three other gene mutations not previously seen together in SARS-CoV2.

https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/mediaroom ... v2-variant

[foldy]

In Germany to protect against faster spreading Corona mutation B117, they start to wear FFP2/N95 masks mandatory next week.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variant_of_Concern_202012/01

[JimF]

In Germany to protect against faster spreading Corona mutation B117, they start to wear FFP2/N95 masks mandatory next week.

I have bought these masks for all of my extended family. They are said to filter out the virus at a high efficiency rate.
I buy them on Amazon; shop around for the best price.
https://sonoviatech.com/shop/

[JimF]

CDC warns highly transmissible coronavirus variant to become dominant in U.S.

This should be readible without a subscripton.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-variant-dominant-us/2021/01/15/4420d814-5738-11eb-a817-e5e7f8a406d6_story.html

[bruce]

The variant is called "highly contagious" in the general population which includes N95 masks, paper masks, and improperly used masks or no masks. Are there scientific studies comparing just N95 to just paper masks?

[JimF]

New COVID-19 variant defeats plasma treatment, may reduce vaccine efficacy

The new COVID-19 variant identified in South Africa can evade the antibodies that attack it in treatments using blood plasma from previously recovered patients, and may reduce the efficacy of the current line of vaccines, scientists said on Wednesday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-heal ... SKBN29P2HJ

[robertmiles]

AstraZeneca Vaccines Dramatically Slows Down Coronavirus Transmission, Study Shows

https://www.thedailybeast.com/astrazeneca-vaccines-dramatically-slows-down-coronavirus-transmission-study-shows?ref=home