Welp—“Vietnam has uncovered a new Covid-19 variant combining characteristics of the two existing variants first found in India🇮🇳(#B16172) & UK🇬🇧(#B117)” 🇻🇳 Health Minister said. “The new variant is very dangerous” and “spreads quickly by air”. #COVID19 🧵 straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/v…
2) here is the curve in Vietnam. It’s pretty sharp of an increase.
3) A “hybrid”—
“The new one is an Indian variant with mutations that originally belong to the UK variant,” Mr Long was quoted as saying, adding that authorities would soon announce the name and detailed characteristics of the newly discovered variant.
4) The World Health Organisation has identified four variants of SARS-CoV-2 of global concern. These include variants that emerged first in India, in Britain, in South Africa & in Brazil.
This combines 2 of 4 worst. WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
5) Laboratory cultures of the new variant, which is much more transmissible than the previously known types, revealed that the virus replicated itself very quickly, Mr Long was quoted as saying.
6) He said that could explain why so many new cases had appeared in different parts of the country within a short period of time.
7) The two mutated strains first identified in Britain and India are currently the most common variants among the new Covid-19 cases in Vietnam in the ongoing infection wave.
➡️ They likely mixed via “recombination” when someone co infected with both variants.
8) Let’s check in on how UK is doing with #B16172 variant… not good— cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all increasing again.
9) “Recombination” is different than ordinary accumulation of mutations, which is error rate driven. But recombination is large scale “swapping” of genetic material between coronaviruses, which allows for bigger and faster changes— and variants to arise that is the worst of both
10) Vietnamese article also describes a super-spreading at a factory—“air environment is [poor], crowded, there are nearly 1,000 infected people among 4,800 workers. The infectious ring (incubation?) of this strain of the virus is only 1-2 days” vnexpress.net/viet-nam-xuat-…
11) The new wave in Vietnam 🇻🇳 started April 27… but it has grown both size (see post 2) and geography… now infecting many more provinces than before. This surge is very different somehow. Maybe it’s because of the new variant(s)
12) “Many of the recent infections were detected in two industrialized provinces in northern Vietnam, where factory employees often work in proximity. Plants there that manufacture for global brands as Apple have implemented social distancing measures” google.com/amp/s/www.wash…
13) “Many countries that managed the pandemic with “non-pharmaceutical interventions are finding that more transmissible variants are more difficult to control with these measures,” “This is the biggest challenge that [Vietnam is] facing since covid-19 came onto the scene.”
14) Vietnam health minister adds: “The characteristic of this strain is that it spreads quickly in the air. The concentration of virus in the throat fluid increases rapidly and spreads very strongly to the surrounding environment.” ⚠️
15) “The new round of infections has made the public and government fearful and authorities quickly moved to place strict limits on movement & business activity. Cafes, restaurants, hair salons & massage parlours as well as tourism and religious spots have been ordered to close”
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💡8 BILLION DOSES IN ONE YEAR—it is possible! Here is how to globally produce over 8 billion mRNA #COVID19 vaccine doses by May 2022–enough to cover 80% of 🌍—for $36.6 billion.
2) “First, we describe the production process for mRNA vaccines, noting in particular the significant advantages of cell-free production. Crucially, mRNA production facilities can be smaller, cheaper, and faster to establish….”
3) “Many more manufacturing facilities can also be retrofitted to produce mRNA vaccines, compared to other kinds of vaccines, given both the small scale and “closed” nature of the process.
📍3rd WAVE “HAS BEGUN”—UK 🇬🇧 might scrap lifting #COVID19 restrictions for June, as a senior government adviser said the country was in the early stages of a third wave amid “exponential growth” in #B16172 variant accounting for 3/4 of cases. theguardian.com/world/2021/may…
2) “Prof Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), told BBC Radio 4’s Today there had been “exponential growth” in #B16172.
Asked if the third wave had begun, Gupta replied: “Yes.”
3) “He added: “Of course, the numbers of cases are relatively low at the moment – all waves start with low numbers of cases that grumble in the background and then become explosive – so the key here is that what we are seeing here is the signs of an early wave.
200 cities—Tens of thousands of protesters poured on to the streets of Brazil’s largest cities to demand the impeachment of Jair Bolsonaro over his catastrophic response to the #COVID19 pandemic that has claimed nearly **half a million Brazilian lives** ✊🏼 theguardian.com/world/2021/may…
2) The demonstrators turned out in more than 200 cities and towns for what is the biggest anti-Bolsonaro mobilisation since Brazil’s Covid outbreak began.
“Today is a decisive milestone in the battle to defeat Bolsonaro’s genocidal administration,”
3) Osvaldo Bazani da Silva, a 48-year-old hairdresser who lost his younger brother to Covid-19, said: “We can’t lose any more Brazilian lives. We need to hit the streets every single day until this government falls.”
NEW—Infections "growing exponentially", professor Sir Tim Gowers warned urging not to repeat the mistake of acting too late. Gowers argument against natural herd immunity helped trigger 🇬🇧‘s first 2020 lockdown says recent increase in #COVID19 "worries me" news.sky.com/story/covid-19…
2) “They seem to be multiplying by a certain fraction each day - in other words, growing exponentially," he said.

"We're still at a reasonably low base but, on the other hand, we know that there's a lag.
3) "Even if we were to take serious action and more social distancing action, that growth would continue for a while until the effect of that action kicked in."
📍600 prisoners currently jailed on a #COVID19-infected prison ship🚢 dubbed “Death trap on the East River”, where audio intercepts described chemical agents & “enhanced restraints” used daily. In April 2021, 5 prison units under COVID quarantine. HT @ava
2) The terrible conditions on the South Bronx prison ship. @TakeBackTheBX is organizing protests. @ava says @laurapoitras is investigating with #seanvegezzi, who are sharing the intercepted audio.
3) the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center is an infamous floating jail in the East River at edge of the South Bronx. Built in the 1990s to alleviate overcrowding at Rikers & can house 800 male inmates—many others go there when they can't afford to pay bail wnyc.org/story/paying-b…
📍BREAKING—Hospitalizations for #COVID19 has spiked up 72% in just 8 days, according to latest UK 🇬🇧 govt data. This follows a surge in #B16172 cases. Deaths have also begun to increase. UK is among the most vaccinated countries, with ~57% with at least 1 dose, and 35% fully.🧵
2) On a weekly cumulative basis, weekly hospitalizations has increased 25% versus the previous week.
Worrisome is that weekly deaths has increased 38% as well, according to SAGE member @GabrielScally, who is not very optimistic about the data.
3) Specifically, Dr Scally’s exact words were “not looking positive in #COVID19 unfortunately”.