Mutating strain of Covid Virus in UK

[SteveS]

Pause for concern:

They don't know for sure if this mutated UK strain is in USA yet. If so, and if I understand correctly, this new mutated strain causes a more rapid spread of Covid Virus. So far, the experts are saying the vaccine will still be effective against this new mutated strain, but they don't know 100% for sure...

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/21/heal ... in-uk.html

[Jim Eshelman]

Yes, that's abut what I've gotten from this. Early news reports say it spreads 70% faster though existing approved vaccines likely protect against it as well as against the earlier strains. (They can't say for sure simply because they haven't done trials with the vaccines against it.)

Some things I haven' seen discussed include: (1) Once the disease is contracted, is the course of its progress any different and is it as responsive to current treatments? (2) What does this mean for the long-term future? Is its genetic adaptability such that we'll never have an effective permanent resistance, or is it still just a matter of rolling out vaccines as fast as possible?

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

They don't know yet. This is too new to say for sure. But as far as they can tell the only difference is this new strain (which they are not sure really exists yet) is more contagious.

There is the point that the more people get infected with coronavirus, the more chances of it mutating into a more virulent version. So if they have actually found a mutated strain, that's good, because they can find the ways the virus is likely to mutate in the future and get a jump on our corona virus/flu virus shots for next year.

This virus IS going to mutate, because it's going to combine with all the "Common Cold" viruses we already have and have no cures for.

One way to really protect yourself is to get the pneumonia shot. And a shingles vaccine wouldn't hurt either.

[SteveS]

I have gotten my pneumonia shot but not shingles shot which I will now be sure to get. Thanks JSAD, keep us informed with your knowing ways.

[Jim Eshelman]

I just got part 2 of my shingles vaccine. It's a tough shot, but worth it. It's good to get anyway IMHO, but I had a different reason this year: Any vaccine at all gives your immune system a work out - gets it engaged and responsive to the new agent introduced into your system. I think this is important this year because one negative side-effect of all the precautions most of us have been taking this year is that we have been exposed to fewer things - not just this coronavirus, but other things. I'm concerned this could cause my immune system to get "lazy," and medical opinion seems to support that; so I'm intentionally giving it a workout. (I normally don't get a flue shot, but got one this year primarily to agitate my immune system a bit.)

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

It appears the UK has a second new and more infectious strain of Covid-19. It was circulating in South Africa, and has made the trip and been identified.

New strains, more infectious or not, are common in most of the Corona Viruses.

[SteveS]

https://www.barchart.com/story/news/109 ... t-variants