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Now tracking the new emerging South Africa Omicron Variant

UK variant mimics SA variant in UK

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Dutch Josh View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dutch Josh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: UK variant mimics SA variant in UK
    Posted: February 02 2021 at 4:23am

[url]https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-south-african-variant-testing-vaccine-cases/[/url] or https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-south-african-variant-testing-vaccine-cases/

The Kent variant is mutating to mimic the South African variant, officials have found, amid warnings it may already be endemic in the UK.

Genomic sequencing has found multiple cases of a mutation to the spike protein called E484K, which renders current vaccines less effective.

It comes the day after the government announced door-to-door testing to contain outbreaks of the South Africa variant, believed to have entered the country via an asymptomatic carrier.

However, separately from this, the E484K mutation is now occurring naturally within the UK variant of the virus that swept the country in December, according to a leading member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

Professor Calum Semple told Today on Radio 4: "The mutation of most concern, which we call E484K, has also occurred spontaneously in the new Kent strain in parts of the country too.”

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Dr Julian Tant, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, said lack of viral control risked turning the UK into a “melting pot” for emerging variants.

DJ-Bad news [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variant_of_Concern_202012/01[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variant_of_Concern_202012/01The variant has become dominant in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[64] Also in the Netherlands, the virus likely became dominant around January 26.[18] In Portugal, the variant represented 20% of the infections for data reported mid-January, and likely became dominant by the end of January.[65] In Israel, the variant was estimated to be at 30%-40% of current infections on January 19.[66] In Belgium, 25% is of the variant as of January 24.[67] In Denmark the variant grew from 0.3% (week 46) to 17.8% (week 4),[27] and was expected to become dominant around mid-February.[19] In France, the variant was calculated to be at 3.3% on January 7-8[68] and estimated to be at 10% on January 28,[69] with the expectation of becoming dominant around week 8-11 of 2021.[70] In the US, where the variant was at around 0.3% at the start of the 2021, it is expected to become predominant in March of the same year.[71][72] The relatively low sensitivity of the projected dominance dates to the current percentage of the variant is due to its fast relative exponential growth. It is presumed the variant will become dominant globally

For NL and other countries the challange becomes even greater, also the UK may face new problems.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
~Albert Einstein
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Dutch Josh View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dutch Josh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2021 at 4:40am

[url]https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-mutation-of-kent-variant-detected-in-samples-could-help-virus-evade-immune-system-12206375[/url] or https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-mutation-of-kent-variant-detected-in-samples-could-help-virus-evade-immune-system-12206375

A mutation of the Kent COVID variant that has been detected in some samples could help the virus evade the immune system, scientists have found.

The mutation, which has been labelled E484K, has also been found in the South Africa variant of the coronavirus.


It was found in 11 samples of some 200,000 that have been sequenced.

Sky's science correspondent Thomas Moore said it was a "worrying development" as it could mean those previously infected could be re-infected and could reduce the effectiveness of COVID vaccines.

He said the evolution of E484K meant the virus had effectively "developed a superpower" which enabled it to not only infect cells, but also to invade the immune system.

"It changes shape so antibodies don't recognise it in the same way, and the fact that this mutation has been now picked up in some samples of the Kent variant is a twist - a worrying development.

"It potentially means that people who have had the infection before, might be re-infected and also that it might reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine - not completely; the vaccine would still protects against serious infection and death - but perhaps that it wouldn't stop it spreading."

DJ-Vaccination prevents getting very ill-may be less effective in stopping getting infected and spreading the virus. Vaccination allows the body to have defenses ready if you get infected. But NPI has to stop the infections...

If new mutations mean the virus can evade the immune reaction we maybe need new vaccines ?

[url]https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55900625[/url] or https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55900625 ;

The Kent variant of coronavirus that has been spreading around the UK appears to be undergoing some worrying new genetic changes, say scientists.

Tests on some samples show a mutation, called E484K, already seen in the South Africa and Brazil variants that are of concern.

Although this change may reduce vaccine effectiveness, the current ones in use should still work, say experts.

The UK has already stepped up measures to control the spread of new variants.

Urgent testing for the South Africa variant is starting in parts of England and travel restrictions have been introduced to stop more cases entering from abroad.

Experts working with Public Health England have only found a handful of cases of the UK variant with the E484K mutation - it was seen in 11 out of 214,159 samples that they tested.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dutch Josh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2021 at 7:32am

[url]https://www.debka.com/mivzak/174696/[/url] or https://www.debka.com/mivzak/174696/According to the latest coronavirus figures, 5,140 new cases were recorded on Sunday, 9.70c were positive in 53,000 tests, and the death toll went up to 4,706. The vaccination total reached 3,081,102 first doses and 1,790,121 second shots. The main change occurred in the makeup of seriously ill patients. One third of the 1,140 patients hospitalized in serious condition are under 60, some are in their twenties and four are children. This change is attributed to the over sixties and high-risk cases being singled out for the first rounds of vaccinations and made relatively safe from infection compared with younger age-groups.

DJ-The UK variant is believed to be widespread in Israel 

[url]https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2021/02/british-variant-may-account-for-two-thirds-of-new-dutch-coronavirus-cases-rivm/[/url] or https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2021/02/british-variant-may-account-for-two-thirds-of-new-dutch-coronavirus-cases-rivm/ ; The RIVM also warned that the more infectious version of the virus first identified in Britain may now account for two-thirds of all new cases in the Netherlands. The estimate is based on computer models rather than actual lab results. Nevertheless, this is further evidence that there are two pandemics underway in the Netherlands – the older form of the virus and the new B117 variant, the RIVM said. The figures also mean that ministers should show utmost caution with any plans to reduce the current strict lockdown rules and remove the curfew, the agency said. Three other variants of the virus have also been identified in Dutch coronavirus patients. The mutation first spotted in South Africa has been found 23 times and the two Brazilian variants have both been identified twice.

DJ-The R0 for the UK variant in NL is 1,28 so the "old variant cases" are decreasing fast-we may soon be in UK/Portugal scenario with (further mutating SA-like) UK variants becoming dominant. Other countries soon will be on this road also...alarming Israel is seeing younger severe ill cases. 

[url]https://www.timesofisrael.com/mutated-covid-19-strains-are-stymieing-efforts-to-curb-spread-virus-czar-says/[/url] or https://www.timesofisrael.com/mutated-covid-19-strains-are-stymieing-efforts-to-curb-spread-virus-czar-says/

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AndyPOW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2021 at 9:43am

A mutation of the UK variant of coronavirus has been described by scientists as "a worrying development" and could affect vaccines
By
Indigo Stafford
13:11, 2 FEB 2021


Scientists are concerned once again by the UK variant of coronavirus because it appears to have mutated to a new strain.

This new "mutation of concern" is known as E484K and scientists have described it as "a worrying development".

The mutation is already present in both South African and Brazilian coronavirus variants and experts believe it could have an impact on the effectiveness of some Covid-19 vaccines.
.....

Concerns are growing as a recent report published by Public Health England said gene sequencing has shown that the E484K mutation has occurred spontaneously in a handful of cases of the UK variant, reports PA media.

Dr Jonathan Stoye, group leader, Retrovirus-Host Interactions Laboratory at The Francis Crick Institute, ecplained "This suggests that the UK variant is now independently acquiring the E484K change.
.....
Prof Tang said that allowing spread could provide a "melting pot" for different emerging variants.

He said: "We really need to reduce our contact rates to reduce the opportunities for viral spread (and) replication to reduce the speed with which these different virus variants can evolve."..https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news...tates-19751908

"Every thing looks great, until you think." Dr. Al Bartlett
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carbon20 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote carbon20 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2021 at 10:20pm

I'm starting to wonder,

The rate this viruses mutates,

Doesn't seem "Natural"

I know we been over this before but could it be a lab grown bio weapon that "got out"

Q: could a lab engineered virus be made to   have the ability to change rapidly ?

Does anyone else wonder at the rapidity of theses mutations,

Is it normal......

What is normal for a "novel" virus......??


Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dutch Josh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 03 2021 at 2:43am

carbon20-When the "official number of cases" in humans of Covid19 is already over 105 million, also millions of minks, thousends of cat-like animals have been infected there should already be a lot of mutations. 

The real number of infections may be close to 1 billion !!! If every reproduction in a cell of the Covid19 viral RNA has some risks of ad random"mistakes=mutations" we may count ourselves lucky that we did not yet see more variants...No doubt-purely based on the statistics-these kind of numbers is asking for (potential more dangerous) variants...

[url]https://www.livescience.com/uk-coronavirus-variant-mutation-e484k.html[/url] or https://www.livescience.com/uk-coronavirus-variant-mutation-e484k.html ;

On Monday (Feb. 1), officials in the United Kingdom revealed that, out of about 214,000 samples of the variant that underwent genetic sequencing, they had identified 11 samples that had acquired a mutation known as E484K, according to government documents.

This mutation has been seen before — notably, in another coronavirus variant called B.1.351, which was first identified in South Africa in October 2020. Officials are concerned about this mutation because it could impact the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. Indeed, data from several vaccine makers, including Johnson & Johnson and Novavax, have found that their COVID-19 vaccines were less effective in South Africa, where B.1.351 is dominant.

The E484K mutation may reduce the ability of certain antibodies to neutralize, or inactivate, the virus before it can enter cells, Live Science previously reported.


Still, seeing the E484K mutation pop up in the U.K. variant doesn't necessarily mean that this variant will become both more contagious and resistant to vaccines, according to The New York Times. That's because the E484K mutation may not have the same effect in the U.K. variant as it has in the South African variant; the impact of each mutation on a given strain depends on the precise genetic makeup of the strain, including all of the other mutations it's carrying, the Times reported.

The E484K mutation has also turned up in novel coronavirus variants in Brazil. Experts are still working to figure out how the mutation benefits the virus.

This mutation occurs in the receptor-binding domain (RBD), where the virus first docks with human cells. Neutralizing antibodies that prevent the virus from entering cells bind to this spot, so changes in the RBD may make it harder for these antibodies to recognize variants with the E484K mutation, according to STAT news. Variants with this mutation may spread more easily in populations where many people have already had COVID-19, allowing for reinfections in people with prior antibodies.

The mutation "may well convey a fitness advantage in settings where there is existing immunity" to the virus, Nicholas Davies, a mathematical biologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Times. 

But so far, samples of B.1.1.7 with the E484K mutation appear very rare, and it's unclear whether versions of B.1.1.7 with this mutation will take off in the U.K. "I think it's potentially concerning, but hard to tell from the report what it means," Davies said.


DJ-Good to put this in perspective. In the UK 11 out of 214,000 have this E484K mutation at least as far as so far has been detected. Other variants also have a lot of other mutations...this "mutated UK variant" could be very limited. Still since the UK variant is becoming dominant in most of the world it is important to be aware of these mutations. [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variants_of_SARS-CoV-2[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variants_of_SARS-CoV-2 gets updated daily-but still a lot of variants will go undetected due to lack of sequencing-reading the RNA. 

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ViQueen24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 03 2021 at 11:34am

Also I believe I heard some of these mutations go as far back as September, so they may not all be all that sudden.

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