14/04/2021 – 14:25-
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The new Andalusian variant of the Covid-19 virus, notified by the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, at the end of March; adds up to 16 cases, as confirmed by the Minister of Health and Families, Jesús Aguirre, last Friday.
Named B1258, It has already been declared to the National Center for Microbiology and information has been sent to the European Union to typify it. In addition, Jesús Aguirre, assured in his intervention in the SUR forum that the new variant is “more contagious”, that it would come from Central Europe and that the confirmed cases had been found in the provinces of Almería, Córdoba and Málaga.
“This virus has a great capacity for mutation and worries us when the variant is more contagious. When it has a greater capacity for clinical involvement, greater morbidity and mortality, it begins to worry us. And when it is less sensitive to acquired immunity, either by vaccination or by having passed the infection begins to worry us “, emphasized the Andalusian counselor.
Jesús Aguirre also recalled that in addition to the 16 cases of the new variant and one of the Brazilian strain, the region has seven cases of the South African variant located and four by contagion between them. Of these eleven, ten are in recovery without sequelae and one has been admitted to Córdoba; while that of Uganda there are four cases, with one deceased and the rest in recovery without sequelae.
Why do so many variants of Covid-19 appear like the Andalusian (B1258)
The appearance of new variants and strains is common in the world of viruses, since they emerge as infected human cells mistakenly replicate new viruses. Fortunately, in the specific case of SARS-CoV-2 it mutates more slowly than others such as influenza. And furthermore, some experts think that we may have already seen the most worrisome mutations that this virus is capable of.
Thus, to prevent the emergence of new, more deadly or more contagious variants, it is necessary to avoid the transmission of the virus between humans. By reducing infections, the replication of the virus decreases and, therefore, the possibility of new mutations appearing in this process.
Why are the variants of Covid-19 such as the Andalusian (B1258) worrying?
The emergence of new variants of Covid-19 is concerning for two reasons. The most immediate has to do with the fact that if these new strains are more transmissible, a significant increase in infections can occur, leading to a greater number of deaths and even the generation of more variants.
The second reason has to do with resistance to vaccines: it is the case of the South African strain compared to Pfizer. Thus, if new variants were to emerge that could be resistant to current vaccines, the goal of reaching group immunity and eradicating the virus would move away. The consequence of that would leave Covid-19 as an endemic virus and, as with the flu, every so often it would be necessary to be vaccinated with a compendium of effective vaccines for the hegemonic variants.
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