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The Covid variant in South Africa is ‘more of a problem’ than the one in UK, official says
CNBC ^ | 01/04/2021 | Holly Ellyatt

Posted on 01/04/2021 12:54:06 PM PST by SeekAndFind

A variant of the coronavirus identified in South Africa is more problematic than the mutation found in the U.K., Britain’s health minister said Monday, as both strains spread rapidly.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC the variant found in South Africa was especially concerning.

“I’m incredibly worried about the South African variant, and that’s why we took the action that we did to restrict all flights from South Africa,” he told the BBC’s “Today” program.

“This is a very, very significant problem ... and it’s even more of a problem than the U.K. new variant.”

Both countries are struggling with a surge in Covid-19 infections, which have been attributed in large part to mutations in the virus that make it more transmissible.

The U.K.’s new variant was first identified in Kent, southeast England, in December. The U.K. authorities alerted the World Health Organization to its emergence.

Experts note that while the new variant spreads more easily, it does not appear to make it deadlier. Nonetheless, the U.K.’s hospitals are under pressure from a dramatic rise in infections and admissions.

Questions have been raised over how the coronavirus vaccines will work against the new variants.

Several experts have said they expect vaccines — such as those from Pfizer and BioNTech, and the Oxford University/AstraZeneca — to protect against the new strains.

Earlier in December, the WHO’s Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan tried to allay fears over the variants, telling the BBC that it was “very unlikely” that the latest mutations would cause the current vaccines not to work. The WHO has said further investigations are required “to understand the impact of specific mutations on viral properties and the effectiveness of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.”

(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: covid19; mutation; southafrica; variant
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Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University John Bell said on Sunday that the variant identified in South Africa was worrying in this regard, however.

“They both have multiple, different mutations in them, so they’re not a single mutation,” he told Times Radio. “And the mutations associated with the South African form are really pretty substantial changes in the structure of the (virus’ spike) protein.”

He said there were questions as to whether the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines would be “disabled” in the presence of such mutations.

1 posted on 01/04/2021 12:54:06 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

A great big YAAAWN!!


2 posted on 01/04/2021 12:54:53 PM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh no, we’re all gonna die!


3 posted on 01/04/2021 12:56:19 PM PST by mrmeyer (You can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him. Robert Heinlein)
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To: SmokingJoe

When will we have to start worrying about the strain from China? The original strain that came from Italy is bad enough.


4 posted on 01/04/2021 12:59:02 PM PST by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not my current tagline.)
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To: SeekAndFind
A variant of the coronavirus identified in South Africa is more problematic than the mutation found in the U.K.

Could be the end of the world as we know it.

Or not.

ML/NJ

5 posted on 01/04/2021 1:00:23 PM PST by ml/nj
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To: who_would_fardels_bear
As far as I concerned, I have never worried about coronavirus.
I look at the coronavirus hysteria/fear porn as merely a political tool, cooked up by the Dems/Biden campaign/media/big tech to steal the elections from President Trump using massive changes in election laws and mail in ballot laws in order to facilitate the greatest robbery in history, the stealing of the presidency of the United States.
Coronavirus in itself is no more dangerous than other infectious diseases.
6 posted on 01/04/2021 1:05:02 PM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: SmokingJoe

Yep. YAAAWWWNNN!

These supposed experts and medical professionals are full of sh!t. I don’t believe a damn thing that comes out of their mouths. I like to tar and feather each and everyone of them and that midget Fauci is on the top of the list.


7 posted on 01/04/2021 1:05:48 PM PST by Glide Plane
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To: mrmeyer

saw a south park meme- a character was lying on the ground, worried look on face “We’re doomed, only 99.9% of us are gonna make it through”


8 posted on 01/04/2021 1:08:43 PM PST by Bob434
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To: SmokingJoe

>>I look at the coronavirus hysteria/fear porn as merely a political tool, cooked up by the Dems/Biden campaign/media/big tech to steal the elections from President Trump using massive changes in election laws and mail in ballot laws in order to facilitate the greatest robbery in history, the stealing of the presidency of the United States.

And somehow they managed to convince almost every other country on the planet to go along with this?


9 posted on 01/04/2021 1:10:33 PM PST by qwerty1234
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To: SeekAndFind

“This is a very, very significant problem ... and it’s even more of a problem than the U.K. new variant.”

Why? If it’s not any more deadly and just spreads faster like the new UK strain why is it a more significant problem?

Hmmm?


10 posted on 01/04/2021 1:13:39 PM PST by READINABLUESTATE ( Deplorable, and proud of it.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Trying to out-victim each other, eh?


11 posted on 01/04/2021 1:19:32 PM PST by Little Ray (The Left and Right no longer have anything in common. A House divided against itself cannot stand.)
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To: SeekAndFind

If true, seeding becomes the issue.

China is up and running, and we’re into our third wave and
the variants are jumping out.

I have suspected seeding, and I think it’s something we
should look into.


12 posted on 01/04/2021 1:20:17 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Buzzards circling over six states. Leftists looking more like dead game every day.)
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To: READINABLUESTATE

>>Why? If it’s not any more deadly and just spreads faster like the new UK strain why is it a more significant problem?

Whats more dangerous? a fires that spreads rapidly or a fire that spreads slowly? with a slow moving fire the FD can concentrate all their efforts on putting it out in one location, with a fast spreading fire the resources must be spread out everywhere at the same time, and there are often not enough resources to fight efficiently everywhere - so certain areas are sacrificed, and others are saved.

Thats why a faster spread is worse - a certain % of people are going to get very, very sick - and some will even die - you don’t want that happening all at once all over the place if you can avoid it.


13 posted on 01/04/2021 1:20:32 PM PST by qwerty1234
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To: DoughtyOne

I keep seeing reports Africa banned Ivermectin but dont know if true


14 posted on 01/04/2021 1:22:10 PM PST by RummyChick (1. I blame Kushner. 2. Pence and the firing squad tweet is my favorite absurdity of the election)
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To: RummyChick

Kay Granger from Texas tested positive. She was on house floor Sunday


15 posted on 01/04/2021 1:23:27 PM PST by RummyChick (1. I blame Kushner. 2. Pence and the firing squad tweet is my favorite absurdity of the election)
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To: RummyChick

btw, she had the vaccine...so we will see if she spread the virus


16 posted on 01/04/2021 1:24:20 PM PST by RummyChick (1. I blame Kushner. 2. Pence and the firing squad tweet is my favorite absurdity of the election)
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To: RummyChick
I think this covers it. 12/24/2020

SA Ivermectin Policy Addressed

17 posted on 01/04/2021 1:25:28 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Buzzards circling over six states. Leftists looking more like dead game every day.)
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To: SeekAndFind
I can see bodies from my doorstep....


18 posted on 01/04/2021 1:27:35 PM PST by HerrBlucher (On we sweep with threshing oar our only goal is another 4)
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To: DoughtyOne

Wow, so I guess his people cant be treated for parasites with a drug that works because he doesnt even want to try it on people with Covid


19 posted on 01/04/2021 1:27:40 PM PST by RummyChick (1. I blame Kushner. 2. Pence and the firing squad tweet is my favorite absurdity of the election)
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To: DoughtyOne

“If true, seeding becomes the issue.”

I have thought this all along. Why are Asian countries nearly immune? Is there a gentic turn off switch? Why is Japan with the oldest population on the planet only have 3000 deaths in a country of 170 million? European countries with 1/2 that population had 50-70k deaths with equivelant lockdown measures.

The question becomes if this is true why are Western gov’t or scientist not bringing it up?? Are they afraid of breaking up the New World Globalist Order so 5-10 million whites in the long term can be sacrificed for the greater good?


20 posted on 01/04/2021 1:27:49 PM PST by setter
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