Reply to: New variant just after immunisations start : co-incidence or not?

[BrilloPad]

If you want immunity, eat more bats.

Or something, Pangolins possibly.

I was told to drink green tea. I wish scientists would make up their minds...

[Zigenare]

If you want immunity, eat more bats.

Or something, Pangolins possibly.

[DoctorStrangelove]

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/def...ed-Kingdom.pdf

Possible sources of SARS-CoV-2 virus variants with a high
number of mutations in the spike protein

The unusually high number of spike protein mutations, other genomic properties of the variant, and the high sequencing coverage in the UK suggest that the variant has not emerged through gradual accumulation of mutations in the UK.

It is also unlikely that the variant could have arisen through selection pressure from ongoing vaccination programmes as the observed increase does not match the timing of such activities.

One possible explanation for the emergence of the variant is prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection in a single patient, potentially with reduced immunocompetence, similar to what has previously been described [17,18].

Such prolonged infection can lead to accumulation of immune escape mutations at an elevated rate.

Another possible explanation could be adaptation processes in a virus that occur in a different susceptible animal species and is then transmitted back to humans from the animal hosts.

This led to the emergence of a variant with multiple spike protein mutations (including RBD mutation Y453F and deletion 69-70) in Denmark during transmission among mink [19].

Several different spike protein mutations associated with mink have also been described in the Netherlands [20].

The UK has reported to ECDC and the WHO Regional Office for Europe that there is no clear epidemiological link to animals for VUI 202012/01, so this explanation is less likely for this variant [1].

Lastly, it is also possible that the variant has emerged through circulation in countries with no or very low sequencing coverage.

This hypothesis is less plausible, however, as random mutations acquired during circulation of the virus would not explain the unusually high proportion of spike protein mutations, and undetected circulation for a long enough time for the high number of mutations to accumulate (around 10 months according to current molecular clock estimates) is also not very likely due to global travel patterns.

Well there's jolly then.

[Hobosapien]

Maybe the alien invasion is underway and they are just really really small.

Makes sense seeing as space is really really big. Downsize to quantum particle size and take advantage of the different laws of physics. No need to change them Scotty.

[ladymuck]

According to someone on the 6 o'clock news, the new variant has 22 mutations.

Which, apparently, is unusual, two or three being more usual.

Maybe they didn't spot the interim mutations?

[DoctorStrangelove]

According to someone on the 6 o'clock news, the new variant has 22 mutations.

Which, apparently, is unusual, two or three being more usual.

[GitMaster69]

Maybe the next mutation will result in a virus that's incredibly infectious, produces no symptoms in anyone, and brings lifelong immunity to this new mutation and the original strains.

Sheep’s will still insist on lockdown because of reasons

[AtW]

Already seen it.

Lots of health and safety violations!

[ladymuck]

Don’t watch Snowpiercer on Netflix...

Already seen it.

[AtW]

Multiple health and safety breaches in the first 10 mins alone! Goodness me, what is the world coming to?

Don’t watch Snowpiercer on Netflix...

[ladymuck]

And now for something completely different ...

Multiple health and safety breaches in the first 10 mins alone! Goodness me, what is the world coming to?

[xoggoth]

Not a coincidence at all. The virus adapted after being supplied with details of the vaccine by the Russians who hacked into Pfizer's database.

[Hobosapien]

48 hours gives time for analysis and planning.

They should be more agile.

But yes, according to Eurotunnel, they need to put rapid testing in place before outbound traffic can resume. Hopefully the rapid tests pick up the new variant or give false negatives rather than false positives so critical carrots for crimbo can get across to EU land.

This palaver is just a taster for future UK/EU via France crossings, like Spain with the occasional Gibraltar border shenanigans, they love to mess around at the expense of the people stuck in their little games.

[ladymuck]

So people who were going shopping in last few before Christmas, upon being told of the tighter restrictions, were supposed to do what exactly?

And those who were planning to go to restaurants and now need to shop? (Not forgetting restaurants who have ordered food and have to pay for it and now cannot use it).

Not all of us have a HWMBO to come round and fill their freezer you know....

Ah yes I did forget about the unfortunates who don't have a butler on the payroll.

[ladymuck]

Kent coast from Whitsable to Herne Bay was heaving with them.

I thought Kent was in tier 4 so the shops should have been shut on Sunday?