London, Thanassis Gavos
The concern of the British scientists that the variant of the coronavirus B.1.1529 that was initially detected in Botswana may “defeat the vaccines”, was conveyed in the morning interviews by the Minister of Transport of the United Kingdom Grand Saps.
Mr Saps was referring to his decision to suspend air links between Britain and six South African countries from noon on Friday. He said the government had decided to act “extremely quickly” to reduce the risk of transmitting the variant, as it had in the past with other countries where disturbing variants had been identified.
He went on to say: “I hope we are just talking about a pause instead of a setback, but we cannot take risks when we see a variant that could well beat the vaccine or at least that be the concern. We need a little more time to control it. “
The British minister’s remarks followed a warning by Professor James Naismith of the Rosalind Franklin Institute on BBC radio that mutations in the new variant would “almost certainly” make vaccines less effective. However, he stressed that vaccines strengthen the body, inviting everyone to take the appropriate doses.
As for the increased transmissibility, he estimated that no matter how much the dispersal of the variant is delayed by the flight ban, it should be taken for granted that it will reach British territory as well.
Likewise, on BBC radio, Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical officer of the UK Health and Safety Service, acknowledged that the variation was “the most worrying we have ever seen”.
Dr. Hopkins noted that transmission levels of this variant are so high that they have not been recorded since the beginning of the pandemic. He explained that the R value of the spread rate of B.1.1529 in the province of Guateng in South Africa, where it was first detected, is now at 2, which implies an exponential increase in cases.
“What we are seeing in South Africa is that it was at a very low point, with very few cases detected every day and now in less than two weeks the epidemiological picture has more than doubled,” said Dr Hopkins.
Summing up the fears of scientists and wanting to send a message in favor of vaccines and other protective measures, the British Special Adviser to the World Health Organization for COVID-19, Dr. David Nabarro, told BBC television from Geneva that it was “appropriate” to the variant of the virus.
“He seems to have a greater ability to avoid the body’s defenses. It will be like going back and facing a new pandemic. “We have to treat it as a new virus,” said the British expert.
The opposite view, however, was expressed by UCL epidemiologist in London François Balot. As he told the BBC, detecting the variant so quickly means it will be easier to limit. “It’s annoying, it’s problematic, but it’s not like a new pandemic. “It could be an obstacle, but it will not mean a return to zero,” said Professor Balou.
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