According to a report, scientists at the Walter Reed Army Research Institute are studying the new contagious coronavirus mutation in the UK to see if it can be resistant to new vaccines.
Dr. Nelson Michael, director of the institute’s Infectious Diseases Research Center, told CNN that while there is always concern that a shot won’t work if a virus mutates significantly, scientists expect inoculations they will be effective against the new strain.
“It is logical that this mutation is not a threat, but you never know. We still have to be diligent and keep looking, ”Michael said Sunday on the network.
Walter Reed’s experts began on Thursday examining genetic sequences of the new UK variant published online by British researchers. As a first step, the team performs a computer analysis.
“The analysis will allow us to measure what concern we should have. Other teams around the world are also doing this analysis,” Michael said.
If computer analysis indicates a cause for concern, studies in a laboratory and in animals should be done to determine more definitively whether vaccines will work with the new variant, according to CNN.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced new holiday closures in parts of the UK that have seen the new mutation spread.
“There is no evidence to indicate that the vaccine will be less effective against the new variant. Our experts will continue their work to improve our understanding as quickly as possible,” Johnson said.
Dr Patrick Vallance, the UK’s leading scientific adviser, agreed: “Our working hypothesis of all scientists is that the vaccine response must be appropriate for this virus.”
Dr. William Schaffner, an advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines, told CNN that vaccines are still useful because viruses mutate constantly, but usually not in ways that make a shot useless.
“Even with mutations, the virus is essentially the same,” Schaffner said. “It’s like a person. I can change my brown coat for a gray coat, but I’m still Bill Schaffner. I’ve changed something, but I’m still the same person. “
Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister is scheduled to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency committee later Monday after France closed its borders to UK arrivals to curb the spread of the new strain.
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Bulgaria were among those who on Sunday announced widespread restrictions on flights across the country.
Canada, India and Poland are one of the last countries to stop flights from the UK, following the leadership of many in Europe.
On Saturday, Johnson announced that he would place London and the south-east of England at a new level of level 4 restrictions following a warning from his scientific advisers, who used what is widely considered one of the most genome sequencing regimes. sophisticated in the world. the new variant spread much faster than existing strains.
He said the first indications are that the new variant is 70 percent more transmissible and is driving the rapid spread of new infections to the capital and surrounding areas.
On Sunday, the UK recorded a total daily record of 35,928 new infections.
With publishing cables