“Highly mutated” is not a term that is used casually, as in “you’re a smart but highly mutated friend” or “would you like to try this highly mutated food?”But the term can simply be applied to a new variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus, lately known as the B. 1. 1. 529 variant, which was recently detected in Botswana and South Africa. This edition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has more than 50 mutations in total. with more than 30 tweaks to the spike protein. While many of those mutations were already provided in other existing variants of SARS-CoV-2, such as this cursed Delta variant, this B. 1. 1. 529 variant may be the winner if the name “variant with the maximum mutations” was awarded today.
Obviously, seeing so many mutations, especially when it comes to the important spike protein, deserves attention. Immune coverage opposed to vaccination or prior infection is likely directed at past versions of the spike protein and virus. This topping isn’t like a pair of cast iron Spanxes. It gives flexibility and can fight slightly different versions of the virus than the original. However, this coverage is likely to become less and less effective as the virus recedes. The big fear is that eventually, an “escape” “variant variant” will emerge, so others from previous versions will easily avoid their immune coverage.
Until now, it appeared that only ten cases of the B. 1. 1. 529 variant had been shown: 3 in Botswana, six in South Africa, and one of every user in Hong Kong who had just returned from South Africa. , a press conference hosted today by South Africa’s Department of Health revealed that the B. 1. 1. 529 variant appears to have spread much further than initially thought. Here is a video of the briefing:
And here’s the beginning of a thread of tweets from Tulio de Oliveira, PhD, director of the Centre for Epidemic Innovation and Response (CERI) in South Africa:
As can be seen from the following tweets in the thread, de Oliveira indicated that in the last two weeks alone, the percentage of Covid-19 coronavirus control samples containing the B. 1. 1. 529 variant has increased from nothing to well above. 50%:
In other words, in about one Scaramucci, which is not a long time, the B. 1. 1. 529 variant went from undetected to now in most samples.
Now, the term B. 1. 1. 529 is not like R2D2, Mambo No. 5 or 867-5309/Jenny. It’s not very simple to remember. But you may not want to use this term for long. This new variant will possibly soon no longer be known as a mix of numbers. The gigantic number of mutations and the immediate spread of the B. 1. 1. 529 variant have led an expert panel of the World Health Organization (WHO) to talk about the variant (26 November). It’s a smart possibility that they call B. 1. 1. 529 a variant of interest or a variant of concern. Either designation will mean that the name of the variant will soon probably be Greek to you and everyone else. The WHO will probably assign a Greek letter as a call. The next letter of the Greek alphabet would be Nu, so it will soon also be known as the Nu variant, or the new Nu variant.
Before you panic and say, “I don’t know, now I want to stockpile more toilet paper,” think about a few things. First of all, it’s never smart to panic. No public fitness official has ever said, “Okay, it’s time to panic. “”Second, what the hell would you do with all that toilet paper?
Third, just because the variant has so many mutations and turns out to be spreading doesn’t mean it will be the next Delta variant, or even the next Lambda or Mu variant. It’s still too early to say how challenging it will be. A combination of additional laboratory, clinical, and epidemiological studies will be needed to determine whether this edition of SARS-CoV-2 is indeed more infectious and transmissible than the Delta variant and to what extent this edition would possibly evade coverage of the existing vaccine or prior infection. Not all mutations are smart for the virus and bad for you, assuming they don’t help the virus. Again, while more mutations can make the spike protein less recognizable to your existing immune defenses, they can also increase the virus’s ability to infect and spread you.
For now, it will be vital to closely monitor the spread of this new variant and increase its threat point. Don’t assume this will be a major challenge just yet. It is quite possible that it cannot compete with other versions of the virus and lead to worse outcomes.
Either way, it reminds us once again that the pandemic is not over. The emergency has not passed, no matter how others around you act. Now is not the time to take premature precautions against Covid-19. Premature attention can also make things even worse. complicated. While Covid-19 vaccines offer smart protection, they are not like concrete-framed condoms. They don’t offer 100 percent protection. Therefore, it is vital to take other precautions, such as wearing a mask and social distancing as much as possible. Keep an eye out for any real public health alerts, as the situation could change from week to week. And pay close attention to Nudes.