Posted on 02/16/2021 9:24:32 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Scientists have found seven separate but similar variants of the coronavirus that have emerged within the United States and appear share a similar genetic mutation to more contagious U.K. and South African types, raising concerns that the U.S. may have to deal with multiple variants of the virus that likely spread more easily.
A preprint study released on Sunday, found that the seven variants—all of which evolved independently—have been spotted in several states.
It is not yet clear if their mutations—which are similar to the more contagious foreign variants—make either of the seven types more contagious, but scientists suspect this is likely the case.
One of the variants, Q677P, was first detected in the U.S. on October 23, yet it accounted for 27.8% cases in Louisiana between December 1 and January 19.
It is, however, unclear if increased presence of the variants was due to its higher transmissibility or if it was aided by holiday travel or other superspreader events.
“There’s clearly something going on with this mutation. I think there’s a clear signature of an evolutionary benefit,” Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University and one of the study’s co-author told the New York Times.
As the U.S. witnesses a sustained decline in Covid-19 cases, the more contagious U.K. and South African variants remain the biggest concern. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease official, told the New York Times Saturday that the variants were the “big wild card” and warned if people failed to adhere to public health measures, those variants could “take off on us.”
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Crematoriums from Space Episode 5: The Deep State Strikes Back
Time to shut the whole country done.
Time for road blocks internal passports.
Time to chip every one.
It is coming boys and girls
Not soon enough for some.
Viruses mutate. Who knew?
There must be bodies, or money, everywhere.
Seven shots or 14?
I can’t keep track, are we on double-dupper contagious or triple-supper contagious? Hopefully we don’t hit defcon quadro-supper-dupper mucho grande contagious. I’ve already got 5 masks on and I can’t take anymore.
One vaccine per variant forever—call it the “jab of the week” program, yup, that is a _great_ plan!
OH NOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gotta keep THE FEAR going!
Too many low-info Americans are discovering the “President” isn’t exactly what the media sold them.
How convenient the variants were announced the week after the vaccines rolled out
Double-Secret Contagious!
The concern with P.1 is twofold: Scientists don't understand why the variant has spread so explosively in Brazil, and the variant carries a particularly dangerous set of mutations.
This is the one that will cause ADE IMO. Neutralizing antibodies from previous infections and vaccinations will not bind to this variant properly leading to the potential for antibody dependent enhancement of the virus in alveolar macrophage ACE 2 receptors.
So is the current vaccine going to be like flu shots, not effect because it was “engineered” for last year’s model and the new model is different?
Sometimes I miss the days when techniques of virology weren’t developed to the point of being able to detect every minuscule and irrelevant variation in a virus. Ignorance isn’t necessarily bliss, but vast knowledge of minor details can definitely cause needless worry.
Full military NBC gear for all plebes. Might have to order a triple XXX size to fit over the first one.
It’s why many first year med students become raging hypochondriacs. Too much info about every possible ailment and bugaboo.
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