Invited Sunday from Europe 1, Gilles Pialoux, head of the infectious diseases department at Tenon hospital, returned to the concerns caused by the new variant of the coronavirus circulating in the United Kingdom.

Recalling the lack of scientific data on this new strain, he assures us that "this does not call into question the vaccine". 

This discovery worries Europe.

As several countries prepare to celebrate Christmas under severe restrictions, the appearance in Britain of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus prompted Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands on Sunday to suspend their flights with this countries, and ask many questions.

Does it cause a higher death rate?

Will it affect the effectiveness of future vaccines?

Invited Sunday from Europe 1, Gilles Pialoux, head of the infectious diseases department at Tenon hospital, urged to remain "very careful", and reassured about the possible impact of this variant on vaccines. 

The mutation of a virus, a "normal" phenomenon

Coronaviruses, recalls Gilles Pialoux "mutate regularly", "it's completely normal".

Noting "a lot of excitement for this British variant", the scientist also notes that "the more people you have infected, the more random mutations you have, and the greater the possible frequency of mutations that can have an impact." 

Moreover, he insists, "these mutations are inexorable. The more circulation of the virus, the more mutations there will be". 

Data that remains insufficient for the moment

"For the moment, it has not been shown that this mutation increases either the transmissibility or the aggressiveness" of the virus, explains Gilles Pialoux, for whom "we cannot make a correlation between the fact that the figures increase and this mutation ". 

In addition, no scientific publication for the moment gives cause for alarm.

"For the British strain, for the moment, we are on the English database and we do not yet have the scientific data", indicates the guest from Europe 1. 

"This does not call into question the vaccine"

Should we fear that this mutant virus is no longer covered by the vaccine spectrum?

"We are not there yet", reassures Gilles Pialoux, "we have concrete elements to say that there is very little probability".

For the head of the infectious diseases department at Tenon hospital, "it must be clearly explained that this does not call into question the vaccine". 

"It is not necessary that everything mixes in the head of the French", insists again the researcher, recalling that "one can adapt a candidate vaccine to a variability", as what does with the flu.

And to conclude: "We must be extremely distant from the fact that this mutant will have an impact on vaccine research".