British scientists have recently reported the discovery of a new strain of the novel coronavirus, known as B.1.1.7, which has aroused worldwide panic since it is 70 percent more transmissible.
Here are some facts.
A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19 shared with Reuters on Feb 18, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
1. Is B.1.1.7 a super virus?
No, it is only one of the new variants of the novel coronavirus.
But what has astonished scientists is how it evolved so fast because B.1.1.7 has acquired 17 mutations all at once, a feat never seen before.
A woman wearing a face mask walks across Westminster Bridge past the Houses of Parliament, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, Britain, Dec 22, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
2. Is it more infectious than other variants?
Actually, yes.
It was first detected in September. In November around a quarter of the cases in London were the new variant. This reached nearly two-thirds of cases in mid-December.
British scientists believed that the new variant's transmissibility increased by 50 to 70 percent, and it could make children as susceptible to infection as adults.
A medical staff member takes care of a patient at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Nossa Senhora da Conceicao hospital, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Nov 19, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
3. Can it lead to more serious diseases?
There is not enough evidence to conclude this, but scientists think the possibility cannot be ruled out.
A new variant detected in South Africa has a special mutation similar to B.1.1.7, and that variant allows patients to carry a larger virus load, which may lead to more serious symptoms.
Li Min/China Daily
4. What has caused the unusual mutations?
One possibility is that a series of new mutations were obtained through a special host.
Some scientists have also proposed that the virus might have gained the mutations through animals, such as minks.
With the discovery of more and more animal infections, "animal hosts" have become the focus of attention.
A staff member displays samples of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at Sinovac Biotech Ltd, in Beijing, capital of China, March 16, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]
5. Will new variants make vaccines ineffective?
Most scientists still believe that the variants will not impede the vaccines, even though this possibility cannot be ruled out.
Women in traditional costumes walk beneath decorations for the upcoming new year in Tokyo on Dec 18, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
6. How many countries have discovered the new variant?
At least nine countries have discovered it, namely Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, Portugal, Sweden, Jordan, Japan and South Korea, as well as possibly the United States.
