European countries were gripped by panic due to the spread of information about the mutation of the coronavirus, due to which Great Britain returned to total quarantine, and the EU countries decided to stop air traffic with the United Kingdom. Later, the same type of virus was found in the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia.
What is this "British virus" and why did it cause such a stir, ElitExpert explained.
More contagious
British researchers studied a new type of infection called VUI-2020/12/01 and noted that it is 70% more infectious than the original strain of the coronavirus. They also expressed concern that the virus has already spread widely in London and the southeast of England — despite the effect of significant restrictions. This means that now it will be much more difficult to contain it.
The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Boris Johnson, said that he allows the transmission of the new type of coronavirus to be 70% faster, although he noted that all the data on the infection were obtained from early studies and may still be revised.
According to the head of the Kingdom's Ministry of Health, Matt Hancock, more than 6000 infections caused by the new strain have already been detected in the south and southeast of England.
In fact, this is all that is known about the mutant virus from official sources. Nevertheless, the British authorities, without hesitation, introduced a lockdown, although they had recently promised to ease quarantine measures by Christmas. Since midnight on Sunday in Britain, all shops, except those selling essential goods, hairdressers, beauty salons, sports and entertainment venues, have been closed, meetings of people living at different addresses are prohibited, communication in open spaces is also reduced to a minimum: instead of the previous rule of six people, now it is possible to meet on the street only two at a time if social distance is observed.
From the moment of the announcement of the new lockdown, the British actually had a few hours left to make the final preparations for the holidays. In the evening on Saturday and on the night of Sunday, people stormed trains and buses, the tickets for which were bought at a high price in order to fly to another country for the holidays or to visit relatives for Christmas in the other end of Britain.
The vaccine will do
The World Health Organization believes that the probability of modification of the coronavirus increases with the increase in cases of its transmission, while mutations lead to its gradual adaptation to the human body. This is reported by BFM TV with reference to the Director of the Department of Pandemics and Epidemics of WHO Sylva Brian.
"Therefore, with each identified mutation, it is necessary to determine exactly what new characteristics it acquires, whether there are major changes, or whether it is just normal evolution," said Brian.
According to her, there is no data yet that the new mutation of SARS-CoV-2 affects the lethality. The WHO also believes that the new strain will not affect the effectiveness of vaccines.
Natural mutation
In total, more than 12 mutations of COVID-000 have been recorded in the world. True, none of the ego variants had an effect on the increase in infectiousness, as it happened with VUI-19/2020/12. However, there is no need to panic. According to Mikhail Favorov, professor, doctor of medical sciences, international expert in the field of health care and epidemiology, the seasonal outbreak of the coronavirus has finally subsided in many countries, and at the same time information about the "dangerous mutation" of the coronavirus has begun to spread. According to him, this is a natural process.
"The neurotization of the population continues. Now, when the outbreak has subsided in many countries, the promotion of "new" viruses, "virus mutations", the appearance of the "British virus" and so on have begun. Guys, take it easy, don't see each other on the show!” he wrote.
Further, the epidemiologist clearly explained that such changes in the coronavirus do not pose a dangerous threat.
"Variable sites mutate, constant ones do not mutate, so vaccines will work as planned! The virus will constantly mutate in variable areas, because it needs to become a human virus, not a mouse with pangolins. He wants to be an ordinary runny nose, he does not want to be deadly. Accordingly, the virus wants to be transmitted more actively, without lethality," the epidemiologist explained.
Consequently, according to Favorov, there are no reasons to worry or panic.
