ATTN: After easing lockdowns amid Holidays, PM #BorisJohnson today put much of the UK on strict lockdown: no Xmas, no NYsEve. In a mere week the number of #COVID19 cases has soared 40% & govt is blaming a new mutant form of #SARSCoV2 ...
cnn.com/2020/12/19/uk/…
MORE
cnn.com/2020/12/19/uk/…
MORE
2/
...that govt scientists say is 70% more contagious than the types of #SARSCoV2 now spreading in the USA. Fear of the new mutant form of #COVID19 prompted the Dutch govt to ban flights from UK & across the EU similar measures are considered. independent.co.uk/news/world/eur…
MORE
...that govt scientists say is 70% more contagious than the types of #SARSCoV2 now spreading in the USA. Fear of the new mutant form of #COVID19 prompted the Dutch govt to ban flights from UK & across the EU similar measures are considered. independent.co.uk/news/world/eur…
MORE
3/ Last spring a mutant form of #SARSCoV2 emerged, slamming Italy & then New York. It proved more contagious. nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
Now, the UK variant, first seen in Sept. in a #COVID19 patient in Kent, has spread across UK. gov.uk/government/new…
MORE
Now, the UK variant, first seen in Sept. in a #COVID19 patient in Kent, has spread across UK. gov.uk/government/new…
MORE
4/
There's NO evidence the new UK #COVID19 variant causes worse illness. But it may explain the 40%/week surge in cases there. Dubbed VUI-202012/01, the variant features 17 mutations, including some in the spikes the virus uses to infect human cells.
MORE
bmj.com/content/371/bm…
There's NO evidence the new UK #COVID19 variant causes worse illness. But it may explain the 40%/week surge in cases there. Dubbed VUI-202012/01, the variant features 17 mutations, including some in the spikes the virus uses to infect human cells.
MORE
bmj.com/content/371/bm…
5/
UK scientist: “This variant is strongly associated with where we are seeing increasing rates of #COVID19 . It’s a correlation, but we can’t say it is causation. But there is striking growth in this variant...we are worried, and it needs urgent investigation.”
MORE
UK scientist: “This variant is strongly associated with where we are seeing increasing rates of #COVID19 . It’s a correlation, but we can’t say it is causation. But there is striking growth in this variant...we are worried, and it needs urgent investigation.”
MORE
6/
Big concern, since the new UK form of #COVID19 has mutations in the spike protein, is that vaccines may not work well against it. UK scientists say they don't think it's a problem, but are aggressively studying the matter. bmj.com/content/371/bm…
MORE
Big concern, since the new UK form of #COVID19 has mutations in the spike protein, is that vaccines may not work well against it. UK scientists say they don't think it's a problem, but are aggressively studying the matter. bmj.com/content/371/bm…
MORE
7/
According to gisaid.org
"the new variant, termed VUI 202012/01...was defined by multiple spike protein mutations (deletion 69-70, deletion 144-145, N501Y, A570D, D614G, P681H, T716I, S982A, D1118H)."
See: gisaid.org/references/gis…
MORE
According to gisaid.org
"the new variant, termed VUI 202012/01...was defined by multiple spike protein mutations (deletion 69-70, deletion 144-145, N501Y, A570D, D614G, P681H, T716I, S982A, D1118H)."
See: gisaid.org/references/gis…
MORE
8/
More than 350,000 ppl in the UK have received the @pfizer #COVID19 #vaccine so far, and its proponents are at pains to reassure the public that it will protect them from the new mutant form of the virus.
theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/d…
MORE
More than 350,000 ppl in the UK have received the @pfizer #COVID19 #vaccine so far, and its proponents are at pains to reassure the public that it will protect them from the new mutant form of the virus.
theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/d…
MORE
9/
Meanwhile, a completely separate, new mutant form of #SARSCoV2 emerged in mink populations around the world, especially in Denmark. It is readily transmitted between minks & their human handlers, but so far isn't a human-2-human spreader. varsity.co.uk/science/20338
MORE
Meanwhile, a completely separate, new mutant form of #SARSCoV2 emerged in mink populations around the world, especially in Denmark. It is readily transmitted between minks & their human handlers, but so far isn't a human-2-human spreader. varsity.co.uk/science/20338
MORE
10/
So, 3 big changes in #SARSCoV2 since February, affecting spread of #COVID19 . Why is it happening? Because there's so much virus in the world now, spreading fast, ^ing likelihood of random mutations. Is the new mutant in the US? Who knows?
Wear your 😷& be careful this 🎄.
So, 3 big changes in #SARSCoV2 since February, affecting spread of #COVID19 . Why is it happening? Because there's so much virus in the world now, spreading fast, ^ing likelihood of random mutations. Is the new mutant in the US? Who knows?
Wear your 😷& be careful this 🎄.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
