The emergence of two new mutated versions of the emerging corona virus that causes "Covid-19" disease in the United Kingdom and South Africa raised a lot of concern at the global level, so what are the causes, and what do we know about them?

All viruses mutate, and these mutations are mutations or changes that occur when viruses reproduce.

Scientists have observed multiple mutations in the Corona virus - its scientific name "SARS Cove 2" - since its appearance, the vast majority of them have been ineffective, but some of these mutations may give the virus an advantage for survival, which is, for example, in increasing its ability to transmit and spread.

Here we present the causes of global concern about the two new versions of Corona in the United Kingdom and South Africa, in the form of a question-answer, and we start with the most important questions.

1- Are vaccines effective against the new mutated version that has appeared in the United Kingdom?

Oxford University medical professor John Bell - according to a report published in the British newspaper "The Telegraph" by author Lizzie Roberts - believes that the vaccines recently approved in the United States and Britain are effective against the new strain that first appeared in the United Kingdom.

2- Are vaccines effective against the new mutated version that appeared in South Africa?

Bell warned that the new strain of the Coronavirus that has spread in South Africa may be resistant to the vaccine.

In his interview with Radio "Times", Bell expressed his concern about the strain spread in South Africa, noting that it "shows fundamental changes in the protein structure," and explained that this strain has mutated in the part of the virus that allows antibodies to stick to it.

He added that although there is no data yet on disease complications, "it increases infection, perhaps by increasing its ability to bind to human cells."

3- If vaccines are ineffective, how long will it take to create a new, effective vaccine?

Professor Bell says, "The Oxford University team is working on analyzing these strains after vaccines have proven more effective than we thought."

And he adds, "I think it is unlikely that these strains will completely stop the effectiveness of the vaccine, and I think that some of its effects will still be present .. It is possible to make new vaccines within weeks if necessary."

According to his opinion, "It may take a month or 6 weeks to get a new vaccine, so everyone should stay calm, and everything will be fine. But we may see the emergence of many strains later."

For his part, the European Center for Disease Prevention says that "there is not enough information available at this stage to estimate (if the two copies constitute) a risk to the effectiveness of vaccines."

However, "NRI Walk" - from the American Center for Disease Prevention and Control - said last Wednesday during a press conference that "based on what we currently know, experts believe that the current vaccines will be effective against the two strains."

For its part, the German company BioNTech, which produced with Pfizer the US the first vaccine against "Covid-19" that obtained the license, confirmed that it is able, if necessary, to prepare a new vaccine "within 6 weeks."

4- What is the nature of the two mutated copies in the United Kingdom and South Africa?

UK version

The "variant B117" (variant B117), which is considered the first likely significant shift, originated in September in southeast England, according to Imperial College London.

It quickly spread throughout the United Kingdom before it was announced that it was found in dozens of countries around the world, from the United States to South Korea, passing through India, France and Denmark.

Most of these cases are related to the United Kingdom, but it was not possible to find any link to any country for a small number of cases, which means that this variable has already established itself at the local level.

This is also the case in Denmark, which is one of the countries that do large-scale genome sequencing of the virus, with 86 cases identified (with increasing frequency).

South African version

Another mutated version called "501. in 2" (501.V2) now accounts for the majority of cases in South Africa.

It was discovered in samples dating back to October and then spotted in a few other countries around the world, including the United Kingdom and France.

Experts suggest that the number of cases detected is less than the reality for both variables.

The two mutated versions show several mutations, one of which was called "N501Y" (N501Y), which is now the focus of attention.

This mutation is located on the protein of the emerging corona virus, which is a protrusion on its surface that allows it to bind to a receptor in human cells to penetrate it, and from here it plays a major role in viral infection.

This mutation is known to increase the virus’s ability to bind to the cell’s receptor.

However, "there is no clear specific relationship between the association with the cell receptor and the increase in transmissibility, but such a relationship is reasonable," according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

5- Are the new copies more transferable?

Several scientific studies that have not yet been peer-reviewed and are mainly based on modeling have concluded that the British modified version is more transmissible.

This confirms the initial assessments of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group that advises the British government and estimated that transmission has increased by 50% to 70%.

Hence, according to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine calculations, the British mutated virus is 50% to 74% more contagious.

In the latest report released Thursday, researchers at Imperial College London analyzed thousands of Corona virus genomes between October and December last year, and after following two different methods, they concluded that this mutated version has a "great advantage" that increases its ability to transmit infection. By 50% to 75%, or raising the virus reproduction rate by 0.4 to 0.7, compared to the normal copies.

Initial results for the South African version also show higher portability, but less data is available on it.

However, some experts say the data is insufficient to assess with certainty the extent of infection of both copies.

"We have to be careful, because the result related to the rate of transmission is a set of factors that combine the characteristics of the virus but also the applied prevention and control measures," such as social distancing, putting on the muzzle and closing institutions that Audience reception, etc.

6- What about the infection rates among youth?

The first studies on the British mutant showed a greater infection rate among young people under the age of 20 years.

7- Are the new copies more lethal?

The European Center for Disease Prevention says that "there is no information indicating that the infection caused by these viral strains is more dangerous", but that the risk of "hospitalization and death is high."

He adds that "high transmissibility means at the end of the day a greater number of cases, and then even if it causes similar mortality rates, this means greater pressure on the health system."

British epidemiologist Adam Kucharsky stresses, based on statistical evidence, that "a 50% increase in susceptibility would pose a much bigger problem than a mutated version that causes 50% higher mortality."

He explains on Twitter that with a reproduction rate of 1.1%, a death rate of 0.8%, and 10,000 infected people we could have 129 deaths a month later.

If the death rate increases by 50%, the number of deaths will reach 193, but if the transmission rate increases by 50%, we will have 978 deaths.

Reproduction rate indicates how many people each patient can become infected with.

And epidemiologist Arnaud Fontane - a member of the scientific council that advises the French government - warned that the British modified version "is really a source of concern at the moment," because "it could push us into a very complex situation."

8- How can we fight the new versions of the Corona virus?

Bruno Quagnier believes it is "an illusion" to believe that we can eliminate the mutated copies or prevent their spread altogether, noting that the focus should be on "delaying their dissemination as much as possible."

Hence, the European Center for Disease Prevention recommends that countries where the new mutated versions are not widely spread “make efforts to slow the spread, similar to those made at the beginning of the epidemic,” such as testing people coming from areas where there are risks with the possibility of quarantine, isolation and tracking. Enhanced contact, and reduce travel "to what is there."

At the individual level, Wook says that "since these two versions seem to spread more easily, we must be more careful in our preventive measures to slow the spread of Covid-19, and he recommends wearing a face mask, physical distancing, hand washing, and indoor ventilation without neglecting to avoid crowded places." .