Wednesday, December 23, 2020

SARS-CoV2 - The virus and its mutations

Dear reader,

just a compilation of what we certainly know about mutations, changes of the virus since it was first detected in Wuhan/China

please note:As always, there's no guarantee that this compilation does contain all of the information which is available on the Internet. Checking the date of reports/studies is also crucial with this fast developing story (Don't re-cycle 'old news'). The aim is to provide secure, factual information about the 'fear factor' mutations and to put the changes into perspective. Viruses mutated all of the time and in general this specific type of coronavirus is relatively stable when compared to some flu viruses.

It is not uncommon for viruses to undergo mutations; seasonal influenza mutates every year. More than 4,000 variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been identified in the UK and variants have been observed in many other countries.

source:Public Health England 

Although the author is no virologist, the content and its author(s) is checked and only pieces which can uphold a certain scientific standard will get published here. In order to follow future events more closely and from reliable sources a few Twitter follow recommendations will be added at the end of the document. Science is key here: Don't trust people who don't research viruses or who are not doctors dealing with the aftermath' of an infection. Those viruses are complex, but the way it spreads, mutates, harms infected bodies can be studied and it follows logic that we initially don't fully understand, but with more cases being studied is getting more accurate almost on a daily basis. Just follow the science and the scientists, not the charlatans who either downplay(or even completely the deny the existence of Covid-19) or exaggerate the harm this virus can cause !

The general assumption that we have slow down or stop the rate of new infections is not only true for reducing the number of patients ending up in hospitals, developing serious Covid-19 symptoms, but reducing the virus spread also helps to reduce the risk of the virus mutating while in reproduction mode inside a human body. The mutation risk also exists in other species, that's one reason why those minks have been culled in e.g. Denmark, The Netherlands and so forth.

There are some labs who monitor the constant changes found in samples sent in for testing, and the fact that the new variant is found in the UK is no coincidence since the UK is one the nations where variants have been monitored. It may have been distributed in other nations as well, but it was detected in the UK. 

Mutation mechanism 


Tests capable detecting the new variant

Please note that preprint publications make sure that new scientific studies are published fast, but they often lack of peer review(by other experts in their field) in the first few weeks since being published. Some times studies aren't sufficiently reliable enough, or sometimes other studies by another team of specialists come to somewhat different or even completely different results. So please treat preprints as some kind of indication, but not the 'absolute truth' or the 'last word' (with a 'grain of salt')

The new variant spreading in UK

Counter measures UK 

Restrictions & special measures taken in other countries

(not claiming to be complete or always up-to-date, always check your own government's recent advice!)

UK foreign office travel advice (on Twitter) 

France

Ireland 

China

Known (detected!) occurrences in other countries (outside UK)


COVID-19: New strain found in Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Australia and Gibraltar [Sky News, Dec 21 2020]

The initial variant 

WHO research team expected to travel to Wuhan to investigate coronavirus origin [The Guardian, Dec 16 2020]

earlier variants (found in various countries)

Most New York Coronavirus Cases Came From Europe, Genomes Show [NYTimes, Apr 8 2020]

Yes, COVID-19 is mutating, here's what you need to know [ABC, May 7 2020]

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