The newly reported mutation COVID-19 in Britain was named "VUI-2020 12/0 1". Patrick Vallance, the British government's chief scientific adviser, said that this mutant virus is becoming the main virus variant prevalent in Britain.
1, some media reported that there were 23 mutations in the gene sequence of this mutant virus, which was worrying. Chris Whitty, chief medical officer of England, said in a statement on June 5438+February 19, 2020 that after relevant research and model analysis, experts believed that the newly reported mutant virus "spread faster".
2. However, even if the virus spreads faster, it does not mean that it is more pathogenic. In the virus's view, reproduction and wider spread are the goals, not killing the host. Therefore, some viruses will even evolve in the direction of weaker pathogenicity while strengthening their own transmission ability.
3. Michael Ryan, head of WHO's health emergency project, said on June 5438+February 2, 20201that there was no evidence that the severity of diseases caused by newly reported mutated viruses in the UK had increased. Moreover, even if the infectivity of the virus is slightly improved, it does not mean that the epidemic is out of control. It is believed that the spread of the virus can still be blocked by efforts to fight the epidemic.
Extended data:
Virus variation does not affect the efficacy of the vaccine;
1, WHO experts said on 2 1 that although the virus has undergone several genetic mutations since the outbreak of new crown pneumonia, the known mutations, including the virus recently mutated in Britain, have not had a significant impact on drugs, therapies, detection methods and vaccines in COVID-19.
2. Moncef Slaoui, chief consultant of Curvature Action, a key project of vaccines and drugs in COVID-19, USA, believes that the possibility of the mutant virus developing resistance to the existing vaccines is very low. "So far, I don't think there is a single mutation that will produce drug resistance."
3. Trevor Bedford, an expert in biology and genetics at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the United States, pointed out that to destroy the effectiveness of the vaccine, a large number of gene sequences may need to be rewritten, not just a few mutations. But he also pointed out that the vaccine may need to be fine-tuned over time.
4. Some experts believe that virus variation may affect the detection. Maria Van Kierke Hoff, technical director of WHO's health emergency project, said that the COVID-19 mutation reported in the UK has not affected most tests at present, because most tests focus on multiple targets in the virus genome, but it is true that a few tests targeting only a single target may be affected by the virus mutation and cannot effectively detect the virus.
Swaminadan, the chief scientist of WHO, stressed that people should continuously monitor the genetic changes of the virus, and at the same time, efforts should be made to slow down the spread of the virus. Because the more the virus spreads, the greater the chance of mutation.
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