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Добавлено: Пн Фев 08, 2021 8:20 am Заголовок сообщения: South Africa coronavirus variant: What is the risk? |
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South Africa coronavirus variant: What is the risk?
Coronavirus has been mutating in ways that might help it escape some of the body's immune system defences.
Scientists are working to update the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to make it a better match for one
of these new versions or variants of the pandemic virus, although they say the existing vaccine being used now
should still protect against severe Covid-19 illness.
What is the South Africa new variant?
All viruses, including the one that causes Covid-19, constantly mutate into new versions or variants.
These tiny genetic changes happen as the virus makes new copies of itself to spread and thrive.
Most are inconsequential, and a few can even be harmful to the virus's survival, but some variants can make
the virus more infectious or threatening to the host - humans.
There are now many thousands of variants of the pandemic virus circulating. But experts are concerned about
the South African variant, also known as 501.V2 or B.1.351.
Is it more dangerous?
There is no evidence that the South Africa variant causes more serious illness for the vast majority of people
who become infected.
As with the original version, the risk is highest for people who are elderly or have significant underlying health
conditions.
But there are concerns it can spread more readily and vaccines may not work quite as well against it.
Some of the changes involve the virus's spike protein - the part that gains the virus entry into human cells.
It is also the bit that vaccines are designed around, which is why experts are concerned about these particular
mutations.
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