margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
COVID-19 -Media, Maps, Videos, Timelines, CDC/WHO Resources, etc. ***NO DISCUSSION***
- Thread starter margarita25
- Start date
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
Q&A with Dr. Mike & Dr. Maria
(Courtesy of @dixiegirl1035)
04:24 | Dr. Mike Ryan (response to question):
“It’s fantastic, and for me especially this year we have developed and now potentially deploying an effective vaccine against SARS Co-V2, against COVID-19, but also we've managed to do the same with Ebola for the first time in almost 30 years, and to have a new vaccine and one of the vaccines against Ebola which is built with the same basic approach - it's a viral vector vaccine very similar to some of the candidates for SARS Co-V2, so what we're seeing is huge innovation out there and I think at last innovation that's aimed at the problems that people all over the world face, not just people in wealthy countries but people in poorer countries as well, and I think for me, and there is a way to go, I think Maria is correct, there's a way to go. We’ve likened it to reaching the base camp on Mount Everest but we still have to climb the mountain, so it's a great achievement, but we still have to get there and there are many obstacles to getting there in terms of the ability to produce enough of the vaccine, distribute it fairly, not only deliver it at national level but bring that down to communities, create the demand for the vaccine and deliver that vaccine to each and every individual who actually needs it. That’s not a small task. We’ve been trying to do that for measles for 50 years, we've been trying to do that with polio for 30 years and we haven't quite got there, despite billions of dollars of investment and huge amounts of effort, so in order for this to be successful, and many people have said this before me, it's not just the vaccines that matter, it's vaccination, it’s getting people vaccinated, so it will be very important that we focus on that delivery part...This is the first time ever in my experience, I think I said this previously at the presser but I think it's important to repeat it, never ever before in the history of science and the history of mankind, have we had a new threat, biologic threat, that we didn't understand, we didn't even know existed. We’ve struggled to respond and contain it, and everyone deserves huge credit for what you individually and personally all have contributed to keeping this virus under some kind of control, protecting those around you, but to drive the innovation needed amongst the public and the private sector, the philanthropic sector, the UN, the academic institutions, and so many others have come together, put aside differences, put aside rivalries and committed to a process that Dr. Tedros started way back last March/April and all make a contribution to delivering on a vaccine, and within 12 months to be in this situation is just incredible, and to do that with equity and access and fairness built in from the beginning, that's also unique, because most of the time, we've seen it with HIV and other drugs, we distribute them unfairly at high prices and eventually a number of years later we get a conscience and we decide “oh maybe poor people should get these“ and that becomes an afterthought. This is a forethought, this has been built in and engineered into this process since the very beginning. Now it won't be perfect, nothing is perfect, but it's the first time in my professional career I‘ve witnessed equity and access built into the system from the moment it began. That is a wonderful aspiration, it's an amazing aspiration, because too many people talk that talk but don't walk that walk and we've tried with our partners to walk that walk. On top of that, again there's a humanitarian buffer built in, which is really aimed at getting to people who may never be reached by governments, people living in non-government-controlled areas in the middle of shooting wars, who may not get access to the national allocation, and again there's a buffer dealing directly with those people, so ourselves and unicef and
unacr and msf and other organizations can have access to a special stock, so even those people who don't have the protection of a government, even those people who live in the most extreme and conflict affected environments in the world, we will be able to get vaccines to them, and again that's to me, as a humanitarian, as someone who works my whole life at that space, that's fantastic, because they're the last people in line in my experience. They’re the people sometimes it takes decades to create equitable access to anything, food even, so now to have this is fanta...I know I’m being very emotional about this, but this means a lot to me, because sometimes we fail in things and we fail but we try, sometimes we don't even try; this time we're really trying, really really really trying, to build in that and all of the agencies involved from the top right down to the bottom are important, in many ways the baton will be handed over over time...we need to develop more vaccines. We shouldn't stop. We need more than these three or four. We need to increase production. We need to pull the price down. We love/need a one dose vaccine because all of the vaccines so far are two doses, so the innovation is not finished. We need the research to continue and we need everyone to support that research. We need everybody to look into their own hearts and see how can they contribute. If you're offered a vaccine, it's not just for you - you represent that new firewall. You’re a tree in the forest - if you don't burn down, the rest of the forest doesn't burn down, so your responsibility in this is not just to yourself, it is to your community. So everyone, before the vaccines arrive and all the arguments start over this holiday period, I’d advise everyone to sit down and find out all they can about vaccination, find out all they can about the benefits, find out all they can about the risks, and make a good decision, but make a decision for you, make it for your family, make it for your community and make it for the world, and remember each and every person is a tree in that forest and you get to choose, and you should get to choose, but you're also part of a forest, so let us try also over the coming weeks not just think about the technology, but think about the psychology that we need to have to make vaccinations successful.”
(Courtesy of @dixiegirl1035)
04:24 | Dr. Mike Ryan (response to question):
“It’s fantastic, and for me especially this year we have developed and now potentially deploying an effective vaccine against SARS Co-V2, against COVID-19, but also we've managed to do the same with Ebola for the first time in almost 30 years, and to have a new vaccine and one of the vaccines against Ebola which is built with the same basic approach - it's a viral vector vaccine very similar to some of the candidates for SARS Co-V2, so what we're seeing is huge innovation out there and I think at last innovation that's aimed at the problems that people all over the world face, not just people in wealthy countries but people in poorer countries as well, and I think for me, and there is a way to go, I think Maria is correct, there's a way to go. We’ve likened it to reaching the base camp on Mount Everest but we still have to climb the mountain, so it's a great achievement, but we still have to get there and there are many obstacles to getting there in terms of the ability to produce enough of the vaccine, distribute it fairly, not only deliver it at national level but bring that down to communities, create the demand for the vaccine and deliver that vaccine to each and every individual who actually needs it. That’s not a small task. We’ve been trying to do that for measles for 50 years, we've been trying to do that with polio for 30 years and we haven't quite got there, despite billions of dollars of investment and huge amounts of effort, so in order for this to be successful, and many people have said this before me, it's not just the vaccines that matter, it's vaccination, it’s getting people vaccinated, so it will be very important that we focus on that delivery part...This is the first time ever in my experience, I think I said this previously at the presser but I think it's important to repeat it, never ever before in the history of science and the history of mankind, have we had a new threat, biologic threat, that we didn't understand, we didn't even know existed. We’ve struggled to respond and contain it, and everyone deserves huge credit for what you individually and personally all have contributed to keeping this virus under some kind of control, protecting those around you, but to drive the innovation needed amongst the public and the private sector, the philanthropic sector, the UN, the academic institutions, and so many others have come together, put aside differences, put aside rivalries and committed to a process that Dr. Tedros started way back last March/April and all make a contribution to delivering on a vaccine, and within 12 months to be in this situation is just incredible, and to do that with equity and access and fairness built in from the beginning, that's also unique, because most of the time, we've seen it with HIV and other drugs, we distribute them unfairly at high prices and eventually a number of years later we get a conscience and we decide “oh maybe poor people should get these“ and that becomes an afterthought. This is a forethought, this has been built in and engineered into this process since the very beginning. Now it won't be perfect, nothing is perfect, but it's the first time in my professional career I‘ve witnessed equity and access built into the system from the moment it began. That is a wonderful aspiration, it's an amazing aspiration, because too many people talk that talk but don't walk that walk and we've tried with our partners to walk that walk. On top of that, again there's a humanitarian buffer built in, which is really aimed at getting to people who may never be reached by governments, people living in non-government-controlled areas in the middle of shooting wars, who may not get access to the national allocation, and again there's a buffer dealing directly with those people, so ourselves and unicef and
unacr and msf and other organizations can have access to a special stock, so even those people who don't have the protection of a government, even those people who live in the most extreme and conflict affected environments in the world, we will be able to get vaccines to them, and again that's to me, as a humanitarian, as someone who works my whole life at that space, that's fantastic, because they're the last people in line in my experience. They’re the people sometimes it takes decades to create equitable access to anything, food even, so now to have this is fanta...I know I’m being very emotional about this, but this means a lot to me, because sometimes we fail in things and we fail but we try, sometimes we don't even try; this time we're really trying, really really really trying, to build in that and all of the agencies involved from the top right down to the bottom are important, in many ways the baton will be handed over over time...we need to develop more vaccines. We shouldn't stop. We need more than these three or four. We need to increase production. We need to pull the price down. We love/need a one dose vaccine because all of the vaccines so far are two doses, so the innovation is not finished. We need the research to continue and we need everyone to support that research. We need everybody to look into their own hearts and see how can they contribute. If you're offered a vaccine, it's not just for you - you represent that new firewall. You’re a tree in the forest - if you don't burn down, the rest of the forest doesn't burn down, so your responsibility in this is not just to yourself, it is to your community. So everyone, before the vaccines arrive and all the arguments start over this holiday period, I’d advise everyone to sit down and find out all they can about vaccination, find out all they can about the benefits, find out all they can about the risks, and make a good decision, but make a decision for you, make it for your family, make it for your community and make it for the world, and remember each and every person is a tree in that forest and you get to choose, and you should get to choose, but you're also part of a forest, so let us try also over the coming weeks not just think about the technology, but think about the psychology that we need to have to make vaccinations successful.”
Last edited:
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
To lead CDC, Biden picks Rochelle Walensky
“Walensky, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an expert on AIDS and HIV, will be tasked with rebuilding a critical health agency that has been sidelined by the Trump administration amid a pandemic.
Walensky will replace Robert Redfield, who assumed the role of director in March 2018, and take a top role in helping the Biden administration curtail the coronavirus pandemic.“
[...]
“In the Biden administration, the CDC will take on a much larger and public role, with plans to revive regular media briefings and give a central role to career officials who have been pushed aside by President Donald Trump. Biden and his advisers have emphasized that they want to prioritize scientists over politics in responding to the pandemic.
On Friday, the CDC recommended for the first time that people wear masks at all times when they’re not home. That guidance echoes Biden’s call for a nationwide mask mandate, which numerous Republican governors have rejected.“
(courtesy @dmac55)
“Walensky, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an expert on AIDS and HIV, will be tasked with rebuilding a critical health agency that has been sidelined by the Trump administration amid a pandemic.
Walensky will replace Robert Redfield, who assumed the role of director in March 2018, and take a top role in helping the Biden administration curtail the coronavirus pandemic.“
[...]
“In the Biden administration, the CDC will take on a much larger and public role, with plans to revive regular media briefings and give a central role to career officials who have been pushed aside by President Donald Trump. Biden and his advisers have emphasized that they want to prioritize scientists over politics in responding to the pandemic.
On Friday, the CDC recommended for the first time that people wear masks at all times when they’re not home. That guidance echoes Biden’s call for a nationwide mask mandate, which numerous Republican governors have rejected.“
(courtesy @dmac55)
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
CDC / COVID-19 and Your Health /People with Certain Medical Conditions
Updated Dec. 1, 2020
“Summary of Recent Changes
Revisions were made on November 2, 2020 to reflect recent data supporting increased risk of severe illness during pregnancy from the virus that causes COVID-19. Revisions also include addition of sickle cell disease and chronic kidney disease to the conditions that might increase the risk of severe illness among children.
We are learning more about COVID-19 every day. The below list of underlying medical conditions is not exhaustive and only includes conditions with sufficient evidence to draw conclusions; it is a living document that may be updated at any time, subject to potentially rapid change as the science evolves. This list is meant to inform clinicians to help them provide the best care possible for patients, and to inform individuals as to what their level of risk may be so they can make individual decisions about illness prevention. Notably, the list may not include every condition that might increase one’s risk for developing severe illness from COVID-19, such as those for which evidence may be limited or nonexistent (e.g., rare conditions). Individuals with any underlying condition (including those conditions that are NOT on the current list) should consult with their healthcare providers about personal risk factors and circumstances to determine whether extra precautions are warranted.
Adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. Severe illness from COVID-19 is defined as hospitalization, admission to the ICU, intubation or mechanical ventilation, or death.
Adults of any age with the following conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19:
While children have been less affected by COVID-19 compared to adults, children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and some children develop severe illness. Children with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness compared to children without underlying medical conditions. Current evidence on which underlying medical conditions in children are associated with increased risk is limited. Children with the following conditions might be at increased risk for severe illness: obesity, medical complexity, severe genetic disorders, severe neurologic disorders, inherited metabolic disorders, sickle cell disease, congenital (since birth) heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, asthma and other chronic lung disease, and immunosuppression due to malignancy or immune-weakening medications.
We do not yet know who is at increased risk for developing the rare but serious complication associated with COVID-19 in children called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), nor do we know what causes MIS-C. Learn about MIS-C.”
Updated Dec. 1, 2020
“Summary of Recent Changes
Revisions were made on November 2, 2020 to reflect recent data supporting increased risk of severe illness during pregnancy from the virus that causes COVID-19. Revisions also include addition of sickle cell disease and chronic kidney disease to the conditions that might increase the risk of severe illness among children.
We are learning more about COVID-19 every day. The below list of underlying medical conditions is not exhaustive and only includes conditions with sufficient evidence to draw conclusions; it is a living document that may be updated at any time, subject to potentially rapid change as the science evolves. This list is meant to inform clinicians to help them provide the best care possible for patients, and to inform individuals as to what their level of risk may be so they can make individual decisions about illness prevention. Notably, the list may not include every condition that might increase one’s risk for developing severe illness from COVID-19, such as those for which evidence may be limited or nonexistent (e.g., rare conditions). Individuals with any underlying condition (including those conditions that are NOT on the current list) should consult with their healthcare providers about personal risk factors and circumstances to determine whether extra precautions are warranted.
Adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. Severe illness from COVID-19 is defined as hospitalization, admission to the ICU, intubation or mechanical ventilation, or death.
Adults of any age with the following conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
- Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoking
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
- Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
- Neurologic conditions, such as dementia
- Liver disease
- Overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2, but < 30 kg/m2)
- Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
- Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus
While children have been less affected by COVID-19 compared to adults, children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and some children develop severe illness. Children with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness compared to children without underlying medical conditions. Current evidence on which underlying medical conditions in children are associated with increased risk is limited. Children with the following conditions might be at increased risk for severe illness: obesity, medical complexity, severe genetic disorders, severe neurologic disorders, inherited metabolic disorders, sickle cell disease, congenital (since birth) heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, asthma and other chronic lung disease, and immunosuppression due to malignancy or immune-weakening medications.
We do not yet know who is at increased risk for developing the rare but serious complication associated with COVID-19 in children called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), nor do we know what causes MIS-C. Learn about MIS-C.”
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
House Panel Accuses Trump Administration of Concealing Evidence in CDC Coronavirus Probe
Rep. Clyburn threatens to subpoena CDC director, Secy. Azar for hiding Covid information
Clyburn says select subcommittee testimony shows political interference at CDC
CDC’s Redfield told staff to delete email, official tells House watchdog
Rep. Clyburn threatens to subpoena CDC director, Secy. Azar for hiding Covid information
Clyburn says select subcommittee testimony shows political interference at CDC
CDC’s Redfield told staff to delete email, official tells House watchdog
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
Dbm duplicate
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
Courtesy via @sds71
This memorandum describes evidence recently obtained by the Select Subcommittee showing that a Trump Administration appointee at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Senior Advisor Paul Alexander, privately strategized with other top Administration officials as far back as June 2020 about pursuing a so-called “herd immunity” strategy in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Alexander explicitly endorsed allowing the disease to spread widely among “nfants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc.,” writing, “we use them to develop herd…we want them infected.”
Staff Report re Political Messaging and Herd Immunity.pdf (house.gov)
This memorandum describes evidence recently obtained by the Select Subcommittee showing that a Trump Administration appointee at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Senior Advisor Paul Alexander, privately strategized with other top Administration officials as far back as June 2020 about pursuing a so-called “herd immunity” strategy in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Alexander explicitly endorsed allowing the disease to spread widely among “nfants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc.,” writing, “we use them to develop herd…we want them infected.”
Staff Report re Political Messaging and Herd Immunity.pdf (house.gov)
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
(Courtesy via @weepingangel)
COVID-19 Open Data – Our Data is Your Data | HealthData.gov
More at link
COVID-19 Community Profile Report
On December 18, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with significant contribution from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), began publishing the COVID-19 Community Profile Report publicly on our websites. This will give the American people the same community level information that is available to federal personnel. We hope the publication of this data will help Americans make personal choices to slow the spread.
COVID-19 Open Data – Our Data is Your Data | HealthData.gov
More at link
COVID-19 Community Profile Report
On December 18, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with significant contribution from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), began publishing the COVID-19 Community Profile Report publicly on our websites. This will give the American people the same community level information that is available to federal personnel. We hope the publication of this data will help Americans make personal choices to slow the spread.
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
4 days ago
Last edited:
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 21 December 2020
source
21 December 2020
-------------------
“Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.
In the past few days, there have been reports of new variants of the COVID-19 virus in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Viruses mutate over time; that’s natural and expected.
The UK has reported that this new variant transmits more easily but there is no evidence so far that it is more likely to cause severe disease or mortality.
WHO is working with scientists to understand how these genetic changes affect how the virus behaves.
The bottom line is that we need to suppress transmission of all SARS-CoV-2 viruses as quickly as we can.
The more we allow it to spread, the more opportunity it has to change.
I can’t stress enough - to all governments and all people – how important it is to take the necessary precautions to limit transmission.
===
This year has been difficult for all of us, but for health workers it has never been harder.
At this festive time of year for so many, the best gift for health workers is for leaders and citizens to take precautions that ease the pressure on health systems.
Safe and effective vaccines give us hope, but they are not an excuse for people to let down their guard and put themselves and their loved ones at risk.
Now is the time to double down on the public health basics that have seen many countries suppress the virus effectively.
There are a number of groups that continue to push a narrative that this virus only affects the old, and that with vaccines on the horizon we can relax.
COVID-19 affects children and adults in a variety of ways, and it can attack every system in the body.
And a growing number of people suffer with long-term consequences of the virus.
This includes neurological complications for children and adults, which are still being researched.
Vaccines are offering hope for some, but I am deeply concerned that vaccine nationalism will deprive the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people of these life-saving tools.
Now is the time for political commitment to be translated into action.
Pledges and promises will not protect anyone unless they are realised.
Last week, we announced that the COVAX Facility - which is backed by 190 countries and economies – has secured access to nearly two billion doses of promising vaccine candidates.
In early 2021, US$ 4.6 billions in additional funding will be needed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for at least 20% of the population of all low and lower-middle income countries.
This will ensure health workers and those at highest risk of severe disease are vaccinated, which is the fastest way to stabilise health systems and economies and stimulate a truly global recovery.
The hundred-hundred initiative of WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank aims to support 100 countries to conduct rapid readiness assessments and develop country-specific plans within 100 days for vaccines and other COVID-19 tools.
89 countries have already completed the assessments and our teams are working around the clock to ensure that governments and health systems are ready for global vaccine rollout.
WHO has also released a new training course for health workers on COVID-19 vaccination, which is available at OpenWHO .org
Vaccines will help to end the pandemic, but the effects of COVID-19 will continue to be felt for many years to come.
The pandemic has exploited and exacerbated the vulnerabilities and inequalities of our world.
But it has also shown that in the face of an unprecedented crisis, we can come together in new ways to confront it.
Every crisis is an opportunity to question the way we do things, and to find new ways of doing them.
For 30 years, our colleagues at the United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP, have published the Human Development Report, an annual snapshot of the state of global development.
UNDP has long been a critical partner to WHO, working closely on a host of health and development issues together to solve problems on the ground so that people get the services they need.
The latest edition of the Human Development Report, published last week, takes an in-depth look at the COVID-19 pandemic and what it might mean for the future of development and humanity.
To talk more about the report, I’m pleased to be joined by my brother, Achim Steiner, the Administrator of UNDP.
Achim, thank you for your partnership and thank you so much for joining us today. The floor is yours.”
—
Human Development Report 2020 (mentioned in the above WHO Presser):
Human Development Report 2020
The next frontier
Human development and the Anthropocene
http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf
source
21 December 2020
- In the past few days, there have been reports of new variants of the COVID-19 virus in South Africa and the UK. Viruses mutate over time; that’s natural and expected. WHO is working with scientists to understand how these genetic changes affect how the virus behaves.
- In early 2021, 4.6 billion U.S. dollars in additional funding will be needed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for at least 20% of the population of all low and lower-middle income countries.
- The hundred-hundred initiative of WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank aims to support 100 countries to conduct rapid readiness assessments and develop country-specific plans within 100 days for vaccines and other COVID-19 tools. 89 countries have already completed the assessments and our teams are working around the clock to ensure that governments and health systems are ready for global vaccine rollout.
- For 30 years, our colleagues at the United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP, have published the Human Development Report, an annual snapshot of the state of global development. The latest edition of the Human Development Report, published last week, takes an in-depth look at the COVID-19 pandemic and what it might mean for the future of development and humanity.
-------------------
“Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.
In the past few days, there have been reports of new variants of the COVID-19 virus in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Viruses mutate over time; that’s natural and expected.
The UK has reported that this new variant transmits more easily but there is no evidence so far that it is more likely to cause severe disease or mortality.
WHO is working with scientists to understand how these genetic changes affect how the virus behaves.
The bottom line is that we need to suppress transmission of all SARS-CoV-2 viruses as quickly as we can.
The more we allow it to spread, the more opportunity it has to change.
I can’t stress enough - to all governments and all people – how important it is to take the necessary precautions to limit transmission.
===
This year has been difficult for all of us, but for health workers it has never been harder.
At this festive time of year for so many, the best gift for health workers is for leaders and citizens to take precautions that ease the pressure on health systems.
Safe and effective vaccines give us hope, but they are not an excuse for people to let down their guard and put themselves and their loved ones at risk.
Now is the time to double down on the public health basics that have seen many countries suppress the virus effectively.
There are a number of groups that continue to push a narrative that this virus only affects the old, and that with vaccines on the horizon we can relax.
COVID-19 affects children and adults in a variety of ways, and it can attack every system in the body.
And a growing number of people suffer with long-term consequences of the virus.
This includes neurological complications for children and adults, which are still being researched.
Vaccines are offering hope for some, but I am deeply concerned that vaccine nationalism will deprive the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people of these life-saving tools.
Now is the time for political commitment to be translated into action.
Pledges and promises will not protect anyone unless they are realised.
Last week, we announced that the COVAX Facility - which is backed by 190 countries and economies – has secured access to nearly two billion doses of promising vaccine candidates.
In early 2021, US$ 4.6 billions in additional funding will be needed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for at least 20% of the population of all low and lower-middle income countries.
This will ensure health workers and those at highest risk of severe disease are vaccinated, which is the fastest way to stabilise health systems and economies and stimulate a truly global recovery.
The hundred-hundred initiative of WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank aims to support 100 countries to conduct rapid readiness assessments and develop country-specific plans within 100 days for vaccines and other COVID-19 tools.
89 countries have already completed the assessments and our teams are working around the clock to ensure that governments and health systems are ready for global vaccine rollout.
WHO has also released a new training course for health workers on COVID-19 vaccination, which is available at OpenWHO .org
Vaccines will help to end the pandemic, but the effects of COVID-19 will continue to be felt for many years to come.
The pandemic has exploited and exacerbated the vulnerabilities and inequalities of our world.
But it has also shown that in the face of an unprecedented crisis, we can come together in new ways to confront it.
Every crisis is an opportunity to question the way we do things, and to find new ways of doing them.
For 30 years, our colleagues at the United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP, have published the Human Development Report, an annual snapshot of the state of global development.
UNDP has long been a critical partner to WHO, working closely on a host of health and development issues together to solve problems on the ground so that people get the services they need.
The latest edition of the Human Development Report, published last week, takes an in-depth look at the COVID-19 pandemic and what it might mean for the future of development and humanity.
To talk more about the report, I’m pleased to be joined by my brother, Achim Steiner, the Administrator of UNDP.
Achim, thank you for your partnership and thank you so much for joining us today. The floor is yours.”
—
Human Development Report 2020 (mentioned in the above WHO Presser):
Human Development Report 2020
The next frontier
Human development and the Anthropocene
http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf
Last edited:
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
House Democrats subpoena Azar and Redfield in CDC political interference probe
“Washington — A Democratic-led House panel examining the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic issued subpoenas Monday to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Robert Redfield for documents related to alleged political interference in the scientific work of the CDC.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis has been investigating claims that political appointees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) attempted to influence reports from the CDC about the spread of the coronavirus in the spring and summer, and bullied career staff.“
“Washington — A Democratic-led House panel examining the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic issued subpoenas Monday to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Robert Redfield for documents related to alleged political interference in the scientific work of the CDC.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis has been investigating claims that political appointees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) attempted to influence reports from the CDC about the spread of the coronavirus in the spring and summer, and bullied career staff.“
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
Live Q&A on the new #COVID19 virus variant with WHO, @covidgenomicUK, and @sangerinstitute experts / Dec. 23, 2020
—-
SARS-CoV-2: Strains, Mutations, Variants:
Are there different strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating?
June 10, 2020
What is a virus ‘strain’?
When scientists use the word strain, they are referring to a genetically distinct virus lineage, distinguishable by one or more mutations from another strain. Strains may or may not be biologically (functionally) distinguishable from one another and some virologists use the term strain only for the former. Two strains would be biologically different if they elicited different responses from the human immune system, or if they varied in their transmission characteristics.
What are viral mutations?
When a virus infects a cell and begins making copies of itself, it starts by replicating its genetic information, which for the COVID-19 virus is encoded in an RNA molecule. More complex organisms have a variety of “proof-reading” mechanisms to ensure high-fidelity replication; however, these are less developed in RNA viruses where the process is particularly error-prone, leading to a relatively rapid accumulation of mutations over time. SARS-CoV-2 does carry some proof-reading enzymes and its mutation rate is lower than many other RNA viruses, such as influenza virus, norovirus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
—-
June 15, 2020
COVID-19 Will Mutate — What That Means for a Vaccine
“More infectious
A new study from the Scripps Research Institute in Florida suggests the new coronavirus has mutated into a variant that’s more infectious.
The mutation — named “the D614G mutation” — occurred on the spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it bind and fuse to our cells. The D614G mutation makes it easier for the virus to infect our cells.
The Scripps researchers aren’t the first to identify the tiny mutation on the spike protein.
In March, researchers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory announced they detected the D614G mutation, and that it was likely responsible for most infections reported in Europe and the United States.
In total, the researchers identified 14 strains of SARS-CoV-2 and released their findings to help those working on vaccines and treatments.
That being said, the new dominant strain identified does seem to be more infectious in laboratory settings. Scientists are now trying to understand how the variation behaves in the body — which may be very different from lab settings.”
—
June 30, 2020
Mutated COVID-19 Viral Strain in U.S. and Europe 10 Times More Contagious than Original Strain | BioSpace
“The mutation does not appear to make the virus any more deadly than it already is, but it does appear to make it significantly more contagious. The original strain in China is dubbed D614, while the one found in the UK, Italy and North America by May is dubbed G614.“
—
July 16, 2020
Second Coronavirus Strain May Be More Infectious—but Some Scientists Are Skeptical
“The paper indicates that a single amino acid change from D (aspartic acid) to G (glycine) on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein(which such viruses use to grab onto human cells) is the key to how infectious the pathogen is. “The spike protein has a critically important role in the biology of the virus,” says Bette Korber, a computational biologist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and lead author of the new paper.
Korber and her colleagues came to this conclusion after employing multiple approaches to examine the two strains. First, they performed a statistical analysis that showed how the mutated virus—often referred to as the “G strain”—achieved dominance across multiple continents, outperforming the coexisting original version of SARS-CoV-2, or “D strain.” Then the researchers tested the amount of the virus in individuals with COVID-19 at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in England. The results showed that the G strain produced more of the virus in the human body than the D strain. But the former did not lead to a higher hospitalization rate, meaning it apparently did not cause more severe illnesses. Lastly, the team members created “pseudotype” pathogens by embedding SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, containing either D or G amino acids, into other disease-causing viruses...”
—
Aug. 3, 2020
The six strains of SARS-CoV-2
“Source:
Università di Bologna
Summary:
The virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, presents at least six strains. Despite its mutations, the virus shows little variability, and this is good news for the researchers working on a viable vaccine.“
—
Sept. 8, 2020
“In April, Korber, Montefiori and others warned in a preprint posted to the bioRxiv server that “D614G is increasing in frequency at an alarming rate”1. It had rapidly become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 lineage in Europe and had then taken hold in the United States, Canada and Australia. D614G represented a “more transmissible form of SARS-CoV-2”, the paper declared, one that had emerged as a product of natural selection.“
—
Oct. 30, 2020
Coronavirus mutation may have made it more contagious
“Source:
University of Texas at Austin
Summary:
A study involving more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients in Houston finds that the virus that causes the disease is accumulating genetic mutations, one of which may have made it more contagious. This mirrors a study published in July that found that around the world, viral strains with the same genetic mutation quickly outcompeted other strains.
A study involving more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients in Houston finds that the virus that causes the disease is accumulating genetic mutations, one of which may have made it more contagious. According to the paper published in the peer-reviewed journal mBIO, that mutation, called D614G, is located in the spike protein that pries open our cells for viral entry. It's the largest peer-reviewed study of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences in one metropolitan region of the U.S. to date.”
[...]
“A study published in July based on more than 28,000 genome sequences found that variants carrying the D614G mutation became the globally dominant form of SARS-CoV-2 in about a month.”
[...]
“Natural selection would favor strains of the virus that transmit more easily. But not all scientists are convinced. Some have suggested another explanation, called "founder's effects." In that scenario, the D614G mutation might have been more common in the first viruses to arrive in Europe and North America, essentially giving them a head start on other strains.“
—
RAPID RISK ASSESSMENT
Detection of new SARS-CoV-2 variants related to mink
12 November 2020
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/RRA-SARS-CoV-2-in-mink-12-nov-2020.pdf
“The mutation Y453F”
SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark
6 November 2020
“Since June 2020, 214 human cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Denmark with SARS-CoV-2 variants associated with farmed minks, including 12 cases with a unique variant, reported on 5 November. All 12 cases were identified in September 2020 in North Jutland, Denmark. The cases ranged in age from 7 to 79 years, and eight had a link to the mink farming industry and four cases were from the local community.
Initial observations suggest that the clinical presentation, severity and transmission among those infected are similar to that of other circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses. However, this variant, referred to as the "cluster 5" variant, had a combination of mutations, or changes that have not been previously observed. The implications of the identified changes in this variant are not yet well understood. Preliminary findings indicate that this particular mink-associated variant identified in both minks and the 12 human cases has moderately decreased sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies. Further scientific and laboratory-based studies are required to verify preliminary findings reported and to understand any potential implications of this finding in terms of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines in development. In the meantime, actions are being taken by Danish authorities to limit the further spread of this variant of the virus among mink and human populations.“
WHO / SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark / Nov. 6, 2020
https://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/...E_on_Sars-CoV-2_in_Denmark_5_november2020.pdf
Nov. 5, 2020
—-
Nov. 13, 2020
Study: New Mutation Sped Up Spread of Coronavirus
“Compared to the original strain, people infected with the new strain -- called 614G -- have higher viral loads in their nose and throat, though they don’t seem to get any sicker. But they are much more contagious to others.“
—
Dec. 15, 2020
New coronavirus strain spreading in UK has key mutations, scientists say
“The new variant, which UK scientists have named “VUI – 202012/01” includes a mutation in the viral genome region encoding the spike protein, which - in theory - could result in COVID-19 spreading more easily between people.”
[...]
“As of Dec. 13, 1,108 COVID-19 cases with the new variant had been identified, predominantly in the south and east of England, Public Health England said in a statement.
But there is currently no evidence that the variant is more likely to cause severe COVID-19 infections, the scientists said, or that it would render vaccines less effective.“
—
Severe COVID variant detected in South Africa, health minister says
“Known as the 501.V2 Variant, it was identified by South African researchers and details have been sent to the World Health Organization, Zwelini Mkhize said in a statement.“
[...]
“The research team, led by Tulio de Oliveira, has shared its findings with the scientific community and alerted authorities in Britain, who have “studied their own samples and found that a similar mutation… was the variant that was driving their resurgence in London,” he said.”
—
@DrZweliMkhize
Dec 18
Karim: This new 501.V2 variant has become dominant in South Africa. This new variant has 3 mutations. #SARSCOV2MediaBriefing
South Africa identifies new coronavirus strain causing surge in cases
““The evidence that has been collated, therefore, strongly suggests that the current second wave we are experiencing is being driven by this new variant,” Mkhize added.”
—
New Variant of SARS-CoV-2 Frequently Asked Questions - NICD
Dec. 19, 2020
“Q What is the new SARS-CoV-2 variant?
A This new variant of the virus was discovered through routine genomic surveillance of SARS-
CoV-2 performed by a network of laboratories around the country (Network for Genomic Surveillance South Africa, NGS-SA). The new variant has been identified in almost 200 samples collected from over 50 different health facilities in Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu- Natal. The new variant is different from the others that were circulating in South Africa because it has multiple mutations (changes) in the spike protein – this is the very important part of the virus that binds to the receptor on the cells inside our body and that is also the main target for many of the antibodies produced during infection or after vaccination. Work is being done to understand what effect these mutations have on the behaviour of the virus and our body’s response to it - particularly whether it makes the virus spread more easily, whether it might lead to more severe COVID-19, and whether the virus can evade our immune response.
Q What is the geographical distribution of this mutation?
A The variant was first identified in Nelson Mandela Bay but has rapidly spread through the rest
of the Eastern Cape and to the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Testing in other provinces is being undertaken to understand the extent of geographical spread but it is likely that this variant has spread to other provinces too.”
[...]
Q Is this the same or different to the London variant?
A It is definitely not the same variant, but there are similarities as they both share the same change in the spike protein at the 501 position. What it does tell us is that if we do not control the spread of the virus then it is likely to evolve in similar ways in different parts of the world.”
—
UK Variant:
“The variant that’s being discussed was first identified in September...” - Alex Azar | source
—
In the WHO Press Briefing from Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove comments about the UK VUI / source:
21:00 | Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove:
“So, at the same time, there was another variant that was identified in South Africa, and it has one of the same mutations, this 501Y mutation but a different variant. They have arisen at the same time but it is a separate variant.”
—
Per this video, “doctors are reporting more young people who are seriously ill”; also, per Matt Hancock, this new South Africa variant is highly concerning because it appears to have mutated further than the one discovered in the UK.
source
SARS-CoV-2: Strains, Mutations, Variants:
Are there different strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating?
June 10, 2020
What is a virus ‘strain’?
When scientists use the word strain, they are referring to a genetically distinct virus lineage, distinguishable by one or more mutations from another strain. Strains may or may not be biologically (functionally) distinguishable from one another and some virologists use the term strain only for the former. Two strains would be biologically different if they elicited different responses from the human immune system, or if they varied in their transmission characteristics.
What are viral mutations?
When a virus infects a cell and begins making copies of itself, it starts by replicating its genetic information, which for the COVID-19 virus is encoded in an RNA molecule. More complex organisms have a variety of “proof-reading” mechanisms to ensure high-fidelity replication; however, these are less developed in RNA viruses where the process is particularly error-prone, leading to a relatively rapid accumulation of mutations over time. SARS-CoV-2 does carry some proof-reading enzymes and its mutation rate is lower than many other RNA viruses, such as influenza virus, norovirus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
—-
June 15, 2020
COVID-19 Will Mutate — What That Means for a Vaccine
“More infectious
A new study from the Scripps Research Institute in Florida suggests the new coronavirus has mutated into a variant that’s more infectious.
The mutation — named “the D614G mutation” — occurred on the spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it bind and fuse to our cells. The D614G mutation makes it easier for the virus to infect our cells.
The Scripps researchers aren’t the first to identify the tiny mutation on the spike protein.
In March, researchers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory announced they detected the D614G mutation, and that it was likely responsible for most infections reported in Europe and the United States.
In total, the researchers identified 14 strains of SARS-CoV-2 and released their findings to help those working on vaccines and treatments.
That being said, the new dominant strain identified does seem to be more infectious in laboratory settings. Scientists are now trying to understand how the variation behaves in the body — which may be very different from lab settings.”
—
June 30, 2020
Mutated COVID-19 Viral Strain in U.S. and Europe 10 Times More Contagious than Original Strain | BioSpace
“The mutation does not appear to make the virus any more deadly than it already is, but it does appear to make it significantly more contagious. The original strain in China is dubbed D614, while the one found in the UK, Italy and North America by May is dubbed G614.“
—
July 16, 2020
Second Coronavirus Strain May Be More Infectious—but Some Scientists Are Skeptical
“The paper indicates that a single amino acid change from D (aspartic acid) to G (glycine) on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein(which such viruses use to grab onto human cells) is the key to how infectious the pathogen is. “The spike protein has a critically important role in the biology of the virus,” says Bette Korber, a computational biologist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and lead author of the new paper.
Korber and her colleagues came to this conclusion after employing multiple approaches to examine the two strains. First, they performed a statistical analysis that showed how the mutated virus—often referred to as the “G strain”—achieved dominance across multiple continents, outperforming the coexisting original version of SARS-CoV-2, or “D strain.” Then the researchers tested the amount of the virus in individuals with COVID-19 at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in England. The results showed that the G strain produced more of the virus in the human body than the D strain. But the former did not lead to a higher hospitalization rate, meaning it apparently did not cause more severe illnesses. Lastly, the team members created “pseudotype” pathogens by embedding SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, containing either D or G amino acids, into other disease-causing viruses...”
—
Aug. 3, 2020
The six strains of SARS-CoV-2
“Source:
Università di Bologna
Summary:
The virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, presents at least six strains. Despite its mutations, the virus shows little variability, and this is good news for the researchers working on a viable vaccine.“
—
Sept. 8, 2020
“In April, Korber, Montefiori and others warned in a preprint posted to the bioRxiv server that “D614G is increasing in frequency at an alarming rate”1. It had rapidly become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 lineage in Europe and had then taken hold in the United States, Canada and Australia. D614G represented a “more transmissible form of SARS-CoV-2”, the paper declared, one that had emerged as a product of natural selection.“
—
Oct. 30, 2020
Coronavirus mutation may have made it more contagious
“Source:
University of Texas at Austin
Summary:
A study involving more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients in Houston finds that the virus that causes the disease is accumulating genetic mutations, one of which may have made it more contagious. This mirrors a study published in July that found that around the world, viral strains with the same genetic mutation quickly outcompeted other strains.
A study involving more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients in Houston finds that the virus that causes the disease is accumulating genetic mutations, one of which may have made it more contagious. According to the paper published in the peer-reviewed journal mBIO, that mutation, called D614G, is located in the spike protein that pries open our cells for viral entry. It's the largest peer-reviewed study of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences in one metropolitan region of the U.S. to date.”
[...]
“A study published in July based on more than 28,000 genome sequences found that variants carrying the D614G mutation became the globally dominant form of SARS-CoV-2 in about a month.”
[...]
“Natural selection would favor strains of the virus that transmit more easily. But not all scientists are convinced. Some have suggested another explanation, called "founder's effects." In that scenario, the D614G mutation might have been more common in the first viruses to arrive in Europe and North America, essentially giving them a head start on other strains.“
—
RAPID RISK ASSESSMENT
Detection of new SARS-CoV-2 variants related to mink
12 November 2020
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/RRA-SARS-CoV-2-in-mink-12-nov-2020.pdf
“The mutation Y453F”
SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark
6 November 2020
“Since June 2020, 214 human cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Denmark with SARS-CoV-2 variants associated with farmed minks, including 12 cases with a unique variant, reported on 5 November. All 12 cases were identified in September 2020 in North Jutland, Denmark. The cases ranged in age from 7 to 79 years, and eight had a link to the mink farming industry and four cases were from the local community.
Initial observations suggest that the clinical presentation, severity and transmission among those infected are similar to that of other circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses. However, this variant, referred to as the "cluster 5" variant, had a combination of mutations, or changes that have not been previously observed. The implications of the identified changes in this variant are not yet well understood. Preliminary findings indicate that this particular mink-associated variant identified in both minks and the 12 human cases has moderately decreased sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies. Further scientific and laboratory-based studies are required to verify preliminary findings reported and to understand any potential implications of this finding in terms of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines in development. In the meantime, actions are being taken by Danish authorities to limit the further spread of this variant of the virus among mink and human populations.“
WHO / SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark / Nov. 6, 2020
https://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/...E_on_Sars-CoV-2_in_Denmark_5_november2020.pdf
Nov. 5, 2020
—-
Nov. 13, 2020
Study: New Mutation Sped Up Spread of Coronavirus
“Compared to the original strain, people infected with the new strain -- called 614G -- have higher viral loads in their nose and throat, though they don’t seem to get any sicker. But they are much more contagious to others.“
—
Dec. 15, 2020
New coronavirus strain spreading in UK has key mutations, scientists say
“The new variant, which UK scientists have named “VUI – 202012/01” includes a mutation in the viral genome region encoding the spike protein, which - in theory - could result in COVID-19 spreading more easily between people.”
[...]
“As of Dec. 13, 1,108 COVID-19 cases with the new variant had been identified, predominantly in the south and east of England, Public Health England said in a statement.
But there is currently no evidence that the variant is more likely to cause severe COVID-19 infections, the scientists said, or that it would render vaccines less effective.“
—
Severe COVID variant detected in South Africa, health minister says
“Known as the 501.V2 Variant, it was identified by South African researchers and details have been sent to the World Health Organization, Zwelini Mkhize said in a statement.“
[...]
“The research team, led by Tulio de Oliveira, has shared its findings with the scientific community and alerted authorities in Britain, who have “studied their own samples and found that a similar mutation… was the variant that was driving their resurgence in London,” he said.”
—
@DrZweliMkhize
Dec 18
Karim: This new 501.V2 variant has become dominant in South Africa. This new variant has 3 mutations. #SARSCOV2MediaBriefing
South Africa identifies new coronavirus strain causing surge in cases
““The evidence that has been collated, therefore, strongly suggests that the current second wave we are experiencing is being driven by this new variant,” Mkhize added.”
—
New Variant of SARS-CoV-2 Frequently Asked Questions - NICD
Dec. 19, 2020
“Q What is the new SARS-CoV-2 variant?
A This new variant of the virus was discovered through routine genomic surveillance of SARS-
CoV-2 performed by a network of laboratories around the country (Network for Genomic Surveillance South Africa, NGS-SA). The new variant has been identified in almost 200 samples collected from over 50 different health facilities in Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu- Natal. The new variant is different from the others that were circulating in South Africa because it has multiple mutations (changes) in the spike protein – this is the very important part of the virus that binds to the receptor on the cells inside our body and that is also the main target for many of the antibodies produced during infection or after vaccination. Work is being done to understand what effect these mutations have on the behaviour of the virus and our body’s response to it - particularly whether it makes the virus spread more easily, whether it might lead to more severe COVID-19, and whether the virus can evade our immune response.
Q What is the geographical distribution of this mutation?
A The variant was first identified in Nelson Mandela Bay but has rapidly spread through the rest
of the Eastern Cape and to the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Testing in other provinces is being undertaken to understand the extent of geographical spread but it is likely that this variant has spread to other provinces too.”
[...]
Q Is this the same or different to the London variant?
A It is definitely not the same variant, but there are similarities as they both share the same change in the spike protein at the 501 position. What it does tell us is that if we do not control the spread of the virus then it is likely to evolve in similar ways in different parts of the world.”
—
UK Variant:
“The variant that’s being discussed was first identified in September...” - Alex Azar | source
—
In the WHO Press Briefing from Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove comments about the UK VUI / source:
- It has a number of mutations that was identified through genomic sequencing, which is carried out across the country.
- The Variant Under Investigation was reported to WHO on 14th December, following detail analysis that the UK had done in the southeast of England, looking at their epidemiologic surveillance data and their laboratory data, noting an increase in transmission at the end of Nov/Dec, while interventions were in place.
- They did some file genetic analysis and identified this variant, “they’re calling it the “B-117 lineage which includes this mutation at the N501Y site”.
- She also said the reproductive number went up by .4, increasing from 1.1 to 1.5.
- Also note it was originally referred to as “VUI-202012/01”:
* From above notes, “Dec. 15, 2020: New coronavirus strain spreading in UK has key mutations, scientists say “The new variant, which UK scientists have named “VUI – 202012/01” includes a mutation in the viral genome region encoding the spike protein, which - in theory - could result in COVID-19 spreading more easily between people.”...“As of Dec. 13, 1,108 COVID-19 cases with the new variant had been identified, predominantly in the south and east of England, Public Health England said in a statement.“
21:00 | Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove:
“So, at the same time, there was another variant that was identified in South Africa, and it has one of the same mutations, this 501Y mutation but a different variant. They have arisen at the same time but it is a separate variant.”
—
Per this video, “doctors are reporting more young people who are seriously ill”; also, per Matt Hancock, this new South Africa variant is highly concerning because it appears to have mutated further than the one discovered in the UK.
source
Last edited:
margarita25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 51,426
- Reaction score
- 207,187
Ep 37 Osterholm Update COVID-19: Now Is the Time