Chinanews, January 14 (Zhang Aolin) The first month of 2021, nearly half has passed.
In the past half month, the global situation of the new crown epidemic has continued to deteriorate, and the numbers are shocking.
The total number of confirmed cases worldwide has exceeded 90 million, of which more than 10 million were newly confirmed cases alone.
From mid-December 2020 to the present, the development speed of the epidemic has not decreased but increased. It is not unrelated to the fact that many countries have successively discovered mutant new coronaviruses with stronger transmission than the original virus within a month.
At present, how many mutated new coronaviruses have been found in many countries?
What are their characteristics?
These viruses have spread to which countries and regions, and what impact have they had on the fight against the epidemic?
Data map: Britain under the epidemic.
At least 7 mutated new coronaviruses found worldwide
Has spread to 70 countries and regions
Since December 14, 2020, at least seven mutated new coronaviruses have appeared in the world, including two in the United Kingdom, one in South Africa, one in Nigeria, one in Japan and Brazil, and two in the United States.
——December 14th and 23rd, 2020: UK
On December 14, 2020, the British government notified the WHO that a mutated new virus was found in the country.
This virus was later named the B.1.1.7 variant virus, and it first appeared in Kent, southeast England, on September 20, 2020.
Although there is not enough evidence that this variant virus can cause more serious diseases, scientists believe that this possibility has not been ruled out.
The "trick" of this kind of virus "change" is to increase its transmission ability!
According to estimates, its transmission capacity is about 70% higher than the original strain.
Soon afterwards, the United Kingdom discovered another mutated new coronavirus on December 23, 2020, which is more transmissible than the previous one!
For a while, Europeans panicked and stepped up to cut off communications with the UK.
The World Health Organization stated on January 13, 2021 that the mutant new coronavirus discovered in the UK has appeared in 50 countries and regions around the world.
Data map: A clerk at a liquor store in Johannesburg, South Africa wears a face mask to sort the goods in the refrigerator.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Xi
-December 18, 2020: South Africa
On December 18, 2020 local time, South Africa’s Minister of Health, Don Mukez, revealed that the new coronavirus in South Africa has mutated and is “making young and healthy people seriously ill”.
Regarding the characteristics of this mutated virus, Mukez said frankly: The transmission speed and infectivity have been significantly increased, and it will make young people more susceptible!
What is more worrying is that the virus found in South Africa has also spread globally.
The World Health Organization stated on January 13, 2021 that this mutant new coronavirus has appeared in 20 countries and regions around the world.
-December 24, 2020: Nigeria
The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated on December 24, 2020 local time that a new mutated new coronavirus has emerged in Nigeria, which is not related to mutated viruses previously found in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
The director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ken Gesong, subsequently said that there is no evidence that the mutant virus is directly related to the surge in Nigerian cases and plans to study more related samples.
On January 6, 2021 local time, the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were crowded with people. Many residents ignored the epidemic and went out to enjoy the beach sunshine.
Image source: SIPAPHOTO
-January 10, 2021: Japan, Brazil
On January 10, 2021, the Japanese government stated that it had detected a new variant of the new coronavirus that was different from those that appeared in the UK and South Africa from four passengers entering Japan.
The 4 passengers are all from Brazil.
Soon afterwards, Brazilian researchers also discovered another similar mutant new coronavirus in Brazil.
Takashi Wakita, director of Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases, said that it is still unclear about the infectivity of the virus and the severity of infection after infection, and further research is being conducted on it.
-January 13, 2021: United States
On January 13, 202 local time, scientists at Ohio State University School of Medicine issued a report stating that they had discovered two variants of the new coronavirus that may have originated in the United States.
According to the report, one of the viruses has quickly become the main strain of the new coronavirus in Columbus, the state in the three weeks from the end of December 2020 to the beginning of January 2021.
Currently, the research team is conducting continuous research on these two mutant viruses.
Data map: Tan Desai, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
The epidemic continues to develop
Scientist: It's not surprising that mutations occur
At present, scientific researchers in many countries around the world are monitoring the genetic changes of the virus.
As the epidemic develops, more and more mutant viruses may appear.
Although the slightly sci-fi vocabulary of "virus mutation" sounds chilling, from a scientific point of view, it is not surprising that viruses have mutated.
As early as December 21, 2020, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said when talking about the mutated virus that appeared in the United Kingdom, "The virus will mutate over time, which is natural and expected."
At the same time, the WHO also called on people from all countries not to panic.
Prevention and control are equally important
If you don't actively respond to fear of causing disaster
However, the prevention and control measures that should be done are all indispensable.
WHO Chief Scientist Swaminathan emphasized that people should focus on reducing the speed of the virus.
Because the more the virus spreads, the greater the chance of mutation.
The virus cannot be allowed to spread out of control among the population, otherwise, the incidence of genetic mutations cannot be reduced.
After the United Kingdom, South Africa, Nigeria and other countries have successively reported the discovery of the mutant new coronavirus, many countries have quickly taken response measures, including banning the entry of flights from the United Kingdom and South Africa.
In addition, experts also called on people from all countries to insist on basic epidemic prevention measures such as wearing masks, maintaining hand hygiene, and maintaining social distance.
On January 4, 2021 local time, New York, USA, nurse Sandra Lindsay received the second shot of the new crown virus vaccine at the Long Island Jewish Hospital.
So many variants
Is the vaccine still useful?
Since the emergence of mutated viruses, "whether the vaccine is still useful" has become an issue of great concern to all countries.
According to the latest opinions of experts from the Joint Committee on Vaccination in the United Kingdom, although the mutant virus found in the United Kingdom is highly infectious, data shows that the inhibitory effect of existing vaccines on it is not weak.
As for the mutant virus found in South Africa, South African medical experts previously stated that the existing vaccines such as Pfizer and Oxford may be ineffective against it.
However, there is no official conclusion yet, the relevant research is still in progress, and the analysis data can be drawn within a few weeks.
I hope that the announcement will be good news.
It will be difficult for some time to come
Many countries have successively reported the discovery of mutated viruses, and with the arrival of the winter in the northern hemisphere, the "spring" of the global epidemic seems to be far away.
On January 13, local time, Michael Ryan, head of WHO's health emergency project, said that in the northern hemisphere, especially in Europe and North America, people are entering indoors due to the cold and social gatherings have increased. There are also a series of factors that will intensify in many countries. Spread of the virus.
"The future situation of the epidemic may be more severe," Michael Ryan said solemnly.