DW: What do you know about the Coronavirus mutation in South Africa? Is it similar to the UK variant?
Wolfgang Preiser: It’s not the same virus variant. They evidently arose independently of one another. However, they have some things in common. And these similarities are what worries us. The mutations may have an influence on the ability of the virus to infect a cell and thus also a new person, but also possibly on the immune response.
You don’t know for sure yet [die südafrikanische Mutation, d. Red.] is actually more infectious than other variants of the virus. The fact that it spread very widely in the country within a good two months suggests that this virus variant is actually very easily transmitted. Maybe easier than others.
Virologist Wolfgang Preiser, Head of the Department of Medical Virology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa
–
But it is difficult to tell effects apart. For example, it is now midsummer and the long school and university holidays. In the past few weeks there have been all sorts of parties from high school graduates and young people who were happy that this difficult year is over. We also know these parties have consistently resulted in super spreading events.
What does the new mutation mean for the current vaccines?
We do not yet know whether a vaccine and the resulting immunity against this new virus might not work as well as against the other variants of the virus. We are now doing laboratory tests for this.
Many countries have canceled flights to and from the UK …
I think that’s a bit exaggerated. I don’t think this new virus will change things that profoundly. I understand that you want to do something until you can better assess the situation. But I hope it will go back to within a week or two because I think there are still a few surprises left. I wouldn’t be surprised if [die neue Virusversion, d. Red.] wouldn’t have been in Germany long ago.
The number of infections is increasing in South Africa. What sparked the second wave of infections?
What shakes me a little personally is that we have our new wave so early. I had hoped that we would be spared it until we go into our autumn in April, May and it just gets colder again.
At the moment there is a holiday mood, people are out and about a lot, but most of it happens outside. The movement of air and UV radiation make it much more difficult for such a virus to spread from person to person.
And yet there is this second wave. Although we know that among the poorer sections of the population, for example in Cape Town, up to 45 percent had the infection already in the first wave. One would assume that many people are already protected by this. And yet there are enough people left who can get it again now. I find that a bit sobering, because it shows that there is no getting around these simple things like the mask.
Have regulations been loosened too early? Wasn’t there enough education?
Here [in Südafrika, d.Red.] we actually did something paradoxical. We had a relatively early lockdown. In a country that is already in a very bad economic position, you can only hold out for a few weeks. A lot of people depend on being able to go out and work. Even be it just begging. We eased in a phase of the rising epidemic. This first wave subsided again with minimal measures.
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
