New coronavirus variant spotted in California raises alarm

New coronavirus variant spotted in California raises alarm

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Two studies that would appear soon suggest that the variant, which virologists call B.1.427 / B.1.429, can not only be more contagious, but can also cause serious diseases.

A team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), tested virus samples from recent outbreaks in the state and found that the new variant has become much more common. It was not seen in any samples in September, but by the end of January it was found in half of them.

An important caveat: the research is at a very early stage, has not yet been published or done by a peer review, and requires more work.

According to the scientists, the variant has a different pattern of mutations than those first seen in the United Kingdom and South Africa. One of the mutations affects the vein protein of the virus, it is the part that attaches to the cells that infect the virus. Dr Charles Chiu, co-director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at UCSF and leading the study, said the mutation could make the virus more effective at attaching to cells, increasing its contagion.

Chiu’s team also found evidence that it was more dangerous. The scientists said they observed an increased severity of diseases associated with the new variant, including an increased risk of high oxygen demand. “Their report will be posted on a pre-service server later this week after public health officials in San Francisco reviewed it.

New variants could cause complications in the coming weeks in the United States, although infections are currently declining nationwide and more people are being vaccinated.

Public health experts fear that new variants will exceed the vaccinations, and therefore many have emphasized the importance of doubling safety measures, such as wearing face masks, social removal and avoiding crowded areas.

To date, more than 1,900 cases of coronavirus strains first detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil have been reported in the US. It shows the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of the cases – about 1,881 – are of the variant first identified in the UK, which the CDC had earlier warned could become the dominant strain by next month.

YOU ASKED. OUR ANSWER

Q: How should I prepare for my Covid-19 vaccination?

A: Wait until it’s your turn to make an appointment and make sure you follow all the instructions. Check whether you need to fill in paperwork beforehand and bring all required documentation. Know what you need and make sure you have it.

Try to get all the information in advance. “You want to reduce your time at the vaccination site, and the people there are probably very busy and may not have the time to answer your questions in depth,” said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician, said. visiting professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She said many answers can be found on the US website for questions about the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And yes, you absolutely must wear a mask at your appointment.

Send your questions here. Are you a health worker fighting Covid-19? Send us a message on WhatsApp about the challenges you face: +1 347-322-0415.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY

Step inside Russia’s new Covid-19 vaccine factory

The facility where Soviet scientists once studied biological weapons is now being used to manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine. The home of Generium Pharmaceutical, which has been contracted to scale up the production of the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, the sprawling high-tech complex in Volginsky, about 70 km east of Moscow, is one of seven new factories across the country.

Sputnik V has become one of the world’s most pre – ordered vaccines, with at least thirty countries signing contracts for nearly 2.5 billion doses, according to figures from the Russian Direct Investment Fund. But the demand among the Russians for Sputnik V is much less enthusiastic, reports Zahra Ullah and Matthew Chance.
Vaccination vials are packaged in the Generium pharmaceutical factory.

Ghana is the first country to be vaccinated by COVAX

Ghana today receives the world’s first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization’s COVAX program, which aims to deliver vaccines to low- and middle-income countries that would not otherwise be able to afford them.

The country of 30 million receives 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. According to Johns Hopkins University, Ghana has reported at least 80,759 cases of Covid-19 and 582 deaths.

Last month, India and the African Union announced plans for the Serum Institute to deliver 400 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Africa. The global vaccination of vaccines was incredibly unequal: of the more than 212 million vaccine doses administered around the world, most went to people living in rich countries.

US will receive 240 million doses of vaccines by April

The United States can expect 240 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine by the end of March, drug companies told a House subcommittee on Tuesday.

Pfizer and Moderna – the two companies with Covid-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States – have undertaken to make a total of 220 million doses available for dispatch by the end of March. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson, which later this week could obtain the U.S. emergency permit for its Covid-19 vaccine from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, promised to make 20 million doses available in the same period.

ON OUR RADAR

  • A study that found that teachers – not students – were the likely source of several school-related outbreaks of Covid-19 highlights the need to maintain safety precautions and to prioritize teachers and school staff before vaccination, the CDC said.
  • WHO reports the sixth consecutive week of declining cases of global coronavirus.
  • The Philippines will allow nurses to work in Britain and Germany in exchange for coronavirus vaccines.
  • US President Joe Biden says his government will soon be sending out millions of masks.
  • Some TV shows tell stories about the pandemic. Some viewers wish they would not.
  • A new app to help travelers store and manage their certification for Covid-19 tests and vaccines will be launched next month.

BO-WENK

Quarantines, social distance, distance education, WFH … no wonder the pandemic has made people feel lonely.
There are ways to reduce loneliness, even in an exclusion. This new study shows, for example, that talking to someone over the phone for just ten minutes can make a big difference if you have control.

TODAY’S PODCAST

“In December, we found real new data on human cases, far more cases than we thought, and many more cases unrelated to the market.” – Peter Daszak, President of EcoHealth Alliance

Zoologist and president of EcoHealth Alliance Peter Daszak has just returned from Wuhan, China. CNN Chief Medical Officer Sanjay Gupta talks to him about how it is now, and his findings as part of a World Health Organization investigation Listen now.

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