Current anti-epidemic measures may not be effective against the mutated virus
“Like a speeding car with no brakes.”
The United States “Washington Post” describes the mutant novel coronavirus that is ravaging all over the world in this way.
There is new bad news from Denmark.
The country’s scientists found that the mutation novel coronavirus found in Britain not only spread at an alarming speed, but also to a certain extent “immune” to the world’s current widespread implementation of anti-epidemic measures.
In other words, humans are losing many of their weapons against the mutant novel coronavirus.
Despite the strict blockade in Denmark, the number of cases of the mutated virus has increased by 70 percent in just a week, the Associated Press reported, citing the Danish National Serum Institute.
“We are losing some of the tools to control the epidemic.”
Said Tara Grove-Kraus, the institute’s scientific director.
In mid-January, the institute began sequencing all positive samples to look for mutations in the virus, AP said.
By contrast, the United States has sequenced only 0.3 percent of cases and ranks 43rd in the world.
On January 22nd Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, and his advisers suggested for the first time that the mutated strain could be deadlier than the original.
Patrick Vallans, England’s chief scientific adviser, gave an example: The original novel coronavirus killed 10 out of every 1,000 infected men aged 60 or older in the UK, while the mutant virus killed 13 or 14, The Guardian reported.
This represents a 30 percent increase in mortality.
Johnson and his scientific advisers have repeatedly stressed that existing vaccines are still effective against both original and mutated viruses.
Dr. Vallance did not explain why the mutated virus could cause more deaths.
Is the virus becoming more virulent, or is it becoming more transmissible, overburdening the health care system and failing to stop the deterioration of supposedly curable cases?
Danish public health officials say that without extensive testing and large-scale sequencing, they might still be basking in blind optimism.
The number of new cases per day in the country has been falling for a month.
“Without the mutated virus, we’re in pretty good shape.”
Camilla Holten Muller, co-head of the Virus Transmission Modeling Group at the Danish National Serum Institute, told the Associated Press.
The mutated virus, called B.1.1.7, is spreading so fast that Denmark predicts it will become the dominant strain in the country as early as mid-February.
As a result, the country could be reporting four times as many cases a day by early April.
Research by the Danish Institute of Public Health shows that in the worst cases, the number of cases skyrockets, even when strict blockade measures are in place.
Barring a miracle, such as a mutated virus that is less infectious than expected, or a rapid precipitous fall in the number of new cases in Denmark, the outbreak could spiral out of control, AP said.
Vaccination efforts are helpful, but not urgent.
“It was a bit like a tsunami.
You stand on the beach and you see the water receding all the way, the tide ebbing.”
“Then the tsunami comes roaring in and swallows you up,” Klaus said.
On January 22, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a briefing on the outbreak that the mutation novel coronavirus found in the UK spreads faster and is likely to cause a higher death rate.
Image credit: Visual China
“When you realize the water is rising, it’s too late.”
On December 14, 2020, Klaus received his first warning.
Virus researchers in the United Kingdom have collected a novel coronavirus that appears to be spreading widely in the country.
When the Brits submitted the new virus to a public virus database, they were surprised to find that Danish researchers had found the mutated virus in three confirmed cases, suggesting that the more aggressive strain had spread outside the UK.
According to the Associated Press, the mutated virus entered Denmark as early as November 14, 2020, and began to spread in the country.
When the new threat B.1.1.7 was identified as dangerous, Denmark already had strict precautions in place: the reopened primary schools were closed again;
No more than 5 people are required to gather in public places;
Non-essential international travel is banned, and people entering the country must provide proof of a negative nucleic acid test within 24 hours before entry.
Denmark has launched a vaccination program that is one of the fastest running in Europe, The Guardian reported.
Britain and the United States approved their first vaccines earlier, but Denmark pulled ahead.
Despite this, the number of cases of infection B.1.1.7 has increased exponentially.
As of January 17, Denmark had recorded 464 cases of the mutated virus, the Associated Press said.
B.1.1.7 cases accounted for 2% of the novel coronavirus sequencing conducted in the country in the last week of 2020;
By the second week of January, that figure had risen to 7 per cent.
Concerned Danish leaders are trying to explain why the blockade needs to continue when overall indicators are good and it seems that it should have been gradually lifted weeks ago.
U.S. cable news network (CNN) reported that in early January, the Danish prime minister mei, Fraser rick’s made a long post on facebook and let people imagine yourself sitting in Copenhagen park stadium at the top: this can hold 38000 people in the stadium have a leaky faucet, is a trickle irrigation to the venues, a drop for the first minute, two drops 2 minutes, the third minute 4 drops…
At that rate, Fraserickson said, the stadium would be filled with water in 44 minutes.
For the first 42 minutes, though, the stadium looked almost empty.
“The point is, when you realize the water is rising, it’s too late.”
She wrote.
Danish officials say they are running a “race” to vaccinate as many people as possible before the mutated virus becomes too dangerous to control.
The government believes this will be key to containing the epidemic.
But the pace of vaccination may not be fast enough.
At the current pace, mass vaccinations will not begin until April at the earliest, and unpredictable production delays could slow the schedule.
On January 21, Fraseriksson joined several EU leaders in an online meeting to urge the European Medicines Agency, which approves vaccines in the EU, to speed up the process.
CNN reported that the agency is reviewing vaccine maker AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which has been approved in the United Kingdom and is expected to be available in mid-February.
But AstraZeneca announced on January 22 that it would not be able to deliver the volumes expected by the EU in the first quarter of this year.
People are once again working from home.
Copenhagen’s once-bustling bike lanes have quieted down and shops selling non-essentials have closed.
Preschool education is one of the few areas still open and a potential target for further government tightening.
“It’s the strange calm before the storm.”
Michael Dahl, chief medical officer at Odense University Hospital, told CNN.
The hospital, the largest in southern Denmark, is preparing a dedicated Covid-19 unit and is confident of having enough beds to accommodate the surge in patients.
But Dahl worries that workers could be cross-infected with their families, undermining their efforts.
What good is it to have a ward if all the medical staff are sick?
“If this mutated virus is more contagious, we will end up with a bigger problem in many ways.”
Dahl said.