The disclosure of new COVID variants emerging in China and the rise of a potentially more communicable strain in the UK has re-shed the spotlight on the virus’s ongoing risk, even as health experts say there is no reason to panic. The reason is not.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that a hybrid of two Omicron strains – ba.1 and ba.2 – was first discovered in the UK and dubbed exe Might be the most transmissible variant yet. It is estimated to diffuse 10% more easily than BA.2, which was more permeable than the original Omicron, renowned for its ease of penetration.
Meanwhile in China, which is experiencing the biggest outbreak Since Wuhan, authorities have uncovered two novel omicron subvariants that do not match any existing sequence. It is not clear whether the infections were one-time events of lesser importance, or if they could be a sign of further problems.
“If the efforts of the Chinese authorities to compel transfer are ineffective against a highly, highly permeable virus, like an omicron variant, that could pose a threat to the rest of the world,” said Rajiv Venkayya, a former White House biodefense adviser who is chief executive officer of drugmaker Aerium Therapeutics Inc. Become. in March. “We know that uncontrolled transmission of viruses can lead to more viral evolution and an evolution around vaccines and therapeutics,” potentially making them less effective, he said.
FDA hearing
The continued prevalence of COVID-19, nearly 2.5 years after it was first detected in China, has been driven by the evolution of mutations that allow infections to multiply and deaths in one place, ready to live. remains a major issue for the world. with virus. The US Food and Drug Administration is holding a hearing this week to discuss which booster shots will be needed and how to target which specific strains of the virus.
The number of infections from these new forms is small given the scope of outbreaks still occurring around the world, and scientists have documented the emergence of many variations that have gone nowhere. UK health authorities have recorded more than 630 cases of XE, underlining that more information is needed.
“We should be monitoring new recombinants closely, but we should not panic at this time,” said Leo Poon, a virologist and professor at the University of Hong Kong who has tracked and authored reports on the emergence of new strains.
It is not unexpected to see COVID recombinant variants, or a mixture of the two previous strains, especially since the Delta and Omicron strains are widely circulating, he said. It is likely that some people will be infected with both strains. If one variant is detected in many areas and is spreading in the community, it will be a matter of concern, he said.
China’s revelations
China’s recent revelations on novel variants come at a very early stage of dissemination, making it difficult to know how significant the findings are.
Officials in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, about 110 kilometers from Shanghai, over the weekend reported infections from an Omicron subvariant derived from BA.1. It did not match any existing sequences in China or in the International Database for Viral Sequences Known as GISAID. City health officials said it was found in a patient with a mild case of Kovid.
The second infection, detected in the northeastern city of Dalian, was caused by a BA.2 subvariant that does not match any sequence of domestic or imported cases in the country so far. It was found at a fashion store clerk who was selling clothes imported from South Korea. Around 400 close contacts were tested. All were negative.
Asian Transition
Novel strains from around the world are now emerging in Asia. The first infection caused by the XE variant was detected in Thailand on Saturday, while a different recombinant variant was found in two people who arrived in Hong Kong from Europe in February. The tension in the community has not been detected, and two passengers have made a full recovery.
Stephen Goldstein, a virologist at the University of Utah, said most infections in China and Hong Kong, where more than half of the city is estimated to have been infected since the beginning of the year, stemmed from existing variants. So while outbreaks are an emergency for governments and public health officials, they do not currently represent a global health threat, he said.
“I really don’t expect a new variant to emerge from the omicron epidemic in Hong Kong and China. That said, this virus has certainly taken us by surprise before and we need to be vigilant,” Goldstein said.
This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed. Only the title has been changed.
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