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#Post#: 45518--------------------------------------------------
New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: PalomaBlanca
Date: November 25, 2021, 9:14 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
This is hardly happy holiday news, but since it could be a
game-changer, it's worth posting. Have you been reading about
this? From the NY Times:
"Scientists in South Africa identified on Thursday a concerning
new variant of the coronavirus, whose mutations mark a “big jump
in evolution” that is driving a spike in new cases. Hours later,
Britain banned flights from six southern African nations citing
the variant.
...
The variant has also been identified in Botswana. The country’s
health ministry confirmed in a statement that four cases of the
new variant were detected in people who were all fully
vaccinated. All four were tested before their planned travel.
The B1.1.529 variant has a “very unusual constellation of
mutations,” with more than 30 mutations in the spike protein
alone, Mr. de Oliveira said. On the ACE2 receptor — the protein
that helps to create an entry point for the coronavirus to
infect human cells — the new variant has 10 mutations. In
comparison, the Beta variant has three, the Delta variant has
two, said Mr. de Oliveira.
Displaying mutations that might resist neutralization,
scientists are also still unclear how effective existing
vaccines will be against the new variant. The variant shares
similarities with the Lambda and Beta variants, which are
associated with an innate evasion of immunity, said Richard
Lessells, an infectious diseases specialist at the KwaZulu-Natal
Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform."
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/11/25/world/covid-vaccine-boosters-mandates?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20211125&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta®i_id=138171568&segment_id=75376&user_id=c2508b3f2975aea062e9d34736c72741
[size=12pt]A more general article, if you can't access the
NYTimes link:
HTML https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/25/world/covid-variant-south-africa-immune-evasion-transmissibility/index.html
[/size]
#Post#: 45557--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: HeddyL2627
Date: November 26, 2021, 7:08 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Yup. I read about that yesterday.
I presumed — based on previous reported* variants — that there's
be more to come. But, now I'm wondering just how effective my
vaccines + booster are against this new variant :-[ Are Pfizer,
Moderna, et al going to continue creating new vaccines that will
be rolled out in boosters? And, of course, this is just after a
bunch of people got together for the holidays, mixing vaxxed and
unvaxxed. Ouch.
*How many haven't been reported?!
#Post#: 45573--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: muskrat
Date: November 26, 2021, 7:58 am
---------------------------------------------------------
It seems this always happens just when I think we've turned a
corner.
First, I was beyond thrilled about the vaccine development
(yay!). Then came Delta (ugh). Then came the kid vaxx &
boosters (yay!). Then came the recent holiday increase (ugggh).
And now this.
Dear Universe: May we please get a break? Please ? We're
almost going on 2 yrs of this isht ...
#Post#: 45582--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: Thetis099
Date: November 26, 2021, 8:14 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: muskrat link ---
>
> It seems this always happens just when I think we've turned a
corner.
>
> First, I was beyond thrilled about the vaccine development
(yay!). Then came Delta (ugh). Then came the kid vaxx &
boosters (yay!). Then came the recent holiday increase (ugggh).
>
> And now this.
>
> Dear Universe: May we please get a break? Please ? We're
almost going on 2 yrs of this isht ...
>
--- End Quote ---
I am right there with you. We have seen potentially scary
variants that did not become the dominant variant before, so I
haven't given up hope that could be what happens with this new
one too. This new variant has likely already spread well beyond
South Africa before it was even discovered. Hoping for the best
but preparing for the worst.
#Post#: 45632--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: offtopicalways
Date: November 26, 2021, 11:46 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: HeddyL2627 link ---
>
>
> Are Pfizer, Moderna, et al going to continue creating new
vaccines that will be rolled out in boosters?
>
>
--- End Quote ---
I remember reading (but can't find the article) that Covid
boosters would eventually probably be a lot like flu shots:
experts make their best guess at which variants will be
prevalent, and the vaccine is formulated against them.
If the current vaccine is ineffective against the variant,
formulating a new one would not be difficult. The process is in
place for that. Rolling it out while the supply chain is such a
mess would be a problem.
#Post#: 45644--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: oreally
Date: November 26, 2021, 12:53 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: PalomaBlanca link ---
>
>
>
> This is hardly happy holiday news, but since it could be a
game-changer, it's worth posting. Have you been reading about
this? From the NY Times:
>
> "Scientists in South Africa identified on Thursday a
concerning new variant of the coronavirus, whose mutations mark
a “big jump in evolution” that is driving a spike in new cases.
Hours later, Britain banned flights from six southern African
nations citing the variant.
> ...
> The variant has also been identified in Botswana. The
country’s health ministry confirmed in a statement that four
cases of the new variant were detected in people who were all
fully vaccinated. All four were tested before their planned
travel.
>
> The B1.1.529 variant has a “very unusual constellation of
mutations,” with more than 30 mutations in the spike protein
alone, Mr. de Oliveira said. On the ACE2 receptor — the protein
that helps to create an entry point for the coronavirus to
infect human cells — the new variant has 10 mutations. In
comparison, the Beta variant has three, the Delta variant has
two, said Mr. de Oliveira.
>
> Displaying mutations that might resist neutralization,
scientists are also still unclear how effective existing
vaccines will be against the new variant. The variant shares
similarities with the Lambda and Beta variants, which are
associated with an innate evasion of immunity, said Richard
Lessells, an infectious diseases specialist at the KwaZulu-Natal
Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform."
>
>
>
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/11/25/world/covid-vaccine-boosters-mandates?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20211125&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta®i_id=138171568&segment_id=75376&user_id=c2508b3f2975aea062e9d34736c72741
>
> [size=12pt]A more general article, if you can't access the
NYTimes link:
>
>
HTML https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/25/world/covid-variant-south-africa-immune-evasion-transmissibility/index.html
> [/size]
>
--- End Quote ---
🙈
No no no no. The Delta variant played havoc with people around
my older daughter's age (she's about to turn 50). She lost a few
classmates and others were very ill.
Most of our young people here (to age thirty, say) are not
vaxxed. I fear for them. That includes a couple of my grands.
GO AWAAAAY, damn it!
#Post#: 45704--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: Heron
Date: November 26, 2021, 7:44 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The last variant with a bunch of mutations wasn't able to edge
out the delta variant. This one may not, either. Tis best not to
assume the worst.
#Post#: 45707--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: kkt
Date: November 26, 2021, 8:09 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Covid 19 extinction in the United States is not enough. We're
not done until it's eradicated throughout the world.
#Post#: 45709--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: CatDancing
Date: November 26, 2021, 8:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: muskrat link ---
>
> It seems this always happens just when I think we've turned a
corner.
>
> First, I was beyond thrilled about the vaccine development
(yay!). Then came Delta (ugh). Then came the kid vaxx &
boosters (yay!). Then came the recent holiday increase (ugggh).
>
> And now this.
>
> Dear Universe: May we please get a break? Please ? We're
almost going on 2 yrs of this isht ...
>
--- End Quote ---
I have a wonderful book about Chaucerian England, which was
during the plague era, with the spread of the disease described
by one contemporary writer as being "like rain dripping through
a leaky roof."
I hope that simile doesn't become applicable again . . .
#Post#: 45739--------------------------------------------------
Re: New covid variant - huge evolutionary leap
DIR By: Heron
Date: November 27, 2021, 9:41 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[size=12pt]I find it best to wait for the evidence, rather than
seeking out info before the evidence comes in. There's plenty
enough to keep the anxiety hamsters occupied as it is! And it's
not as though any scary Covid news is going to slip past us.
No offense meant, Paloma. We all have to do what we need to in
order to get through this. Hang in there!
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