SERIOUS COVID

From Deepti, taken from an ONS study.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...-number-of-people-in-england-who-had-covid-19

 

Nothing shows it making people sicker yet that I've found.

 

Old death count and different from my memory :

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine appeared to work against a key mutation in the highly transmissible new variants of the coronavirus discovered in the UK and South Africa, according to a laboratory study conducted by the U.S. drugmaker.
The not-yet peer reviewed study by Pfizer and scientists from the University of Texas Medical Branch indicated the vaccine was effective in neutralizing virus with the so-called N501Y mutation of the spike protein.
The mutation could be responsible for greater transmissibility and there had been concern it could also make the virus escape antibody neutralization elicited by the vaccine, said Phil Dormitzer, one of Pfizer’s top viral vaccine scientists.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-new-coronavirus-variants-study-idUSKBN29D0DX

 

The article writes of "a key mutation" when referring to both the UK new variant and the South African new variant - from what I have read recently, they are different mutations (it is said the SA one might be more dangerous). The N501Y mutation is the UK mutation - the SA one is 501.V2.

These mutations in the genetic code appear to code for the spike protein, thus allowing easier attachment of the protein coat to the host cell membrane and so more likely the virus RNA will enter the host cell. It may also mean the variant virions evade the body's immune system more easily as they are less recognised. This means more people who inhale the virus would be infected, so more people then become spreaders. It is easy to see how this will raise the number of cases very rapidly.

Another possibility to consider for the future is if the vaccines help virus mutation - those virions which are susceptible to the vaccine will perish and those which are not will survive and multiply (survival of the fittest). Thus the viral population becomes a resistant one! A lot depends here on how quickly enough people are vaccinated and so become firewalls to uncontrolled spread of any variants (IF their acquired immunity can actually neutralise that variant!). This is speculation - but the countries who can vaccinate only small numbers at a time may be more susceptible.