| BettyZ |
02-04-2021 09:39 PM |
From my friend, a microbiologist prof @ MIT:
"There are several concerning variants of SARS-CoV2 circulating around the globe and in the US, and they will soon reach your town or city. These variants appear to be more transmissible AND to evade a significant fraction of immune responses to prior infection or vaccination.
The most cogent evidence comes from: (1) Manaus in Brazil, where the hospitals have been overloaded by a second wave of COVID, despite high levels of infection during prior waves (estimates based on blood donation ~75%) and (2) J&J vaccine trial data, showing worse efficacy in South Africa, where a virus with very similar mutations to those seen in Manaus is circulating.
The evolution of viruses that escape a good fraction of immune responses (~%50?) and are more transmissible (~2x?) is something to really be worried about and prepared for. We need to increase our social distancing practices to prepare for this -- not open indoor dining.
Moreover, the repeated emergence of the same mutation across the globe, on different viral backgrounds, shows how fast evolution when infections are high -- we can't give the virus many opportunities to find the right combination of mutations. This is a global problem, as the virus can evolve anywhere. We need to vaccinate people quickly, update our vaccines quickly, and use every tool in the box (rapid testing, masking, distancing) to keep the number of cases and prevent future evolution."
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