New strain stuff.....

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/18/boris-johnson-calls-crisis-meeting-to-discuss-response-to-new-covid-strain

So,it's just a variant, nothing to see here, blah blah blah..... I'm pretty sanguine about this stuff but dropping this late at night as a headline right now..... I'm getting mightily pissed off with the uncertainty and the subtle fear mongering......

Any thoughts?

Can anyone elaborate on the South African variant which is now here ? What does it mean do we know ?

This press conference is just scary.

Oh man am out. What’s happening?

South African thing scaring me too

I just had a look at Twitter and it looks like scientists are saying much more transmissible and more bad disease in under 40s. Is that right ?
It’s on the vaccines now getting rolled out fast.

I’m still not worried for my own health. I’m more worried about hospitals being filled up in the event of my kids needing care. That’s what scares me.

Did countries react to SA strain in same way? Ifaik not?

@MarshaBradyo

Did countries react to SA strain in same way? Ifaik not?

Yeah, if it's in Britain it must be in other European countries too.

Britain does have a very good - perhaps the world's best - system for identifying this sort of thing, so maybe that's why Britain is the first to act?

Scrambling to find info on South Africa variant.

africacdc.org/news-item/statement-on-new-sars-cov-2-variant-with-multiple-spike-protein-mutations/

Coffee and croissantis already on it.

Three mutations in the receptor binding domain of the SA variant compared to one in the U.K. variant.

However, the increased affinity for ACE2 receptors appears to be driven by the N501Y mutation, which is shared between them both.

Mp for Warrington north

Charlotte Nichols @charlotte2153
Absolutely chaotic briefing from the Government today.

Warrington is unfortunately heading into Tier 3 from Boxing Day due to having the highest rate of this new strain in the North West, here's everything you need to know:

t.co/3sEPgekwqp

And yet did you say the local press in Warrington were reporting no instances of the new variant in Warrington? But today it’s the highest (as you had predicted)?

Many children from Trafford go to school in Lymm (Warrington) and Knutsford (Cheshire) so it’s clearly causing the Trafford spikes too

God I really like Matt Hancock. He’s doing an excellent job with this press conference. I’m willing him to get this vaccine rolled out enmasse .

Preprint paper from the people leading the investigation on the SA variant.

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.21.20248640v1

I think it surged in schools during the second lockdown. In Kent the rates went up really fast here during lockdown. By the end of November nearly all of Kent secondary schools had closures.

@ceeveebee

And yet did you say the local press in Warrington were reporting no instances of the new variant in Warrington? But today it’s the highest (as you had predicted)?

Many children from Trafford go to school in Lymm (Warrington) and Knutsford (Cheshire) so it’s clearly causing the Trafford spikes too

Yep. Thats what the newspaper said. And I thought was bullshit. And yes thats similar to my concerns about knowing how Warrington ties to its neighbours. If its in South Warrington its most likely in Trafford too...

I will be keeping close eyes on numbers.

Hancock DID say that they felt the three tiers were working well enough for the North, but if that new strain is gathering pace (which i think it is) there will be a problem. And it will be becoming apparent probably by the 30th.

sigh

@justanotherneighinparadise

God I really like Matt Hancock. He’s doing an excellent job with this press conference. I’m willing him to get this vaccine rolled out enmasse .

Whatever you’re on, I want some.

TBF Matt Hancock is growing on me.

But then, so can mould.

Its all relative.

I like him. I didn’t but I can see how much he cares and I suspect he’s s bloody nice bloke.

Yeh he’s ok. Gets a lot of heat but he does care

Is there a source of data on the virulence of the SA strain? I can only see the pre-paper detailing the mutations, but no further analysis.

@justanotherneighinparadise

I like him. I didn’t but I can see how much he cares and I suspect he’s s bloody nice bloke.

I think he’s a nice bloke too. I think he’s the only decent bloke amongst them. But then I remember he’s given contracts to friends and don’t like him. But I do think best of a bad bunch by far.

Back to the virus, presumably, if I'm understanding correctly, the progress of vaccination, will lead to less people being infected; so slows down chance of mutations?

(i.e the opposite of the more infections, the more mutations)

I’m no scientist, but if there is one around, hypothetically (given enough time and resources), could we genetically engineer the coronavirus to become much less virulent but much more contagious, then set it off as a kind of contagious vaccine that crowds out the more virulent strains? Or is that total science fiction? I realise it’s probably so risky that it would never be allowed but wondering if it’s theoretically possible.

I think he’s a nice bloke too. I think he’s the only decent bloke amongst them. But then I remember he’s given contracts to friends and don’t like him. But I do think best of a bad bunch by far.

Yeah, this. He seems to be the only one that genuinely cares if normal people (i.e not the Tory 1%) die.