New strain. How worried should we be?

[TotallyandutterlyMULLED]

Hi,

I know this will have obviously been discussed before on here, but the concern seems to have ramped up a bit today....or is it just me?

Thoughts?

I am also very worried about this as it is more contagious but my main worry is if it will affect the vaccines. Will just have to wait for any updates

Not worried at all

well there are 17 mutations on the spike protein so yeah it is very concerning regarding the vaccines

Do you worry about the flu mutating each year?

Not an epidemiologist, but I am sure I read somewhere that viruses more commonly mutate to be less deadly than more deadly. So I'm hoping that's true, and this virus strain might be more infective but less serious.

I am definitely concerned as to whether the vaccine will still be effective for this strain, and also about how fast spreading this new variant is. However we will just have to wait and see I guess.

The apparent faster spreading could be entirely random given that most spread is by super spreaders - a new variant just needs to get lucky a few times and it's everywhere. I'll be amazed though if it doesn't affect vaccine efficacy though.

@QueenStromba

The apparent faster spreading could be entirely random given that most spread is by super spreaders - a new variant just needs to get lucky a few times and it's everywhere. I'll be amazed though if it doesn't affect vaccine efficacy though.

I was hoping you would comment, your posts are always very helpful

@nanoparticle

I am also very worried about this as it is more contagious but my main worry is if it will affect the vaccines. Will just have to wait for any updates

How do you know it's more contagious?

If it does evade the vaccines, then what will happen? I am very worried about this, surely it means no end to the pandemic as the mutations will keep happening?

@QueenStromba

The apparent faster spreading could be entirely random given that most spread is by super spreaders - a new variant just needs to get lucky a few times and it's everywhere. I'll be amazed though if it doesn't affect vaccine efficacy though.

From what I have heard they think it is unlikely to affect vaccine efficacy.

I’m so done with it all. I just want this pandemic to fuck off

I hear that it's very unlikely to effect the vaccine, but then if it's the spike protein which has changed, become stickier potentially, therefore more contagious, why are scientists saying it's unlikely cause issues if the vaccine was created from the spike proteins? Or am I being really stupid?...

@TotallyandutterlyMULLED

I hear that it's very unlikely to effect the vaccine, but then if it's the spike protein which has changed, become stickier potentially, therefore more contagious, why are scientists saying it's unlikely cause issues if the vaccine was created from the spike proteins? Or am I being really stupid?...

Can you point me to where a scientist has said that? The closest I've seen is someone saying "there's no evidence that" which is scientist speak for we don't know. Or maybe you're talking about what Whitty said at the press conference which was perhaps technically true but effectively an outright lie (he said something about there being no selective pressure on the virus from the vaccine while omitting the fact that the selective pressure for the virus to evade the immune response from a previous infection has the effect of also making any vaccine based on that virus less effective).

therefore more contagious

Who said this?

Not worried at all