“The vaccines target several areas of the virus, they have several points of attack. Studies show that the mutations that have appeared do not affect the effectiveness of the vaccine.” against Covid-19, the professor of public health at the Lille University Hospital Philippe Amouyel reports Sunday, December 20 on franceinfo, at a time when London has made the decision to re-contain against a new mutation of the coronavirus. Worldwide, 12,000 variations of the virus since its appearance have been identified by researchers in a study published in the journal Nature.
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franceinfo: In the United Kingdom, London and the south-east of England are being reconfigured by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to stem a new mutation of the coronavirus. Is this mutation worrying at this stage?
Philippe Amouyel: In surveys carried out by British scientists, nearly one in five infections in the south-east of the United Kingdom corresponds to this new variant. Around 4,000 variations of a Sars-Cov-2 protein have been identified worldwide since the appearance of the virus [Cette protéine permet l’entrée et l’infection des cellules]. For the moment, these variations have no particular effect on virulence and speed of propagation. But there, what worries the English, for a fortnight, is that this new form is more found compared to the usual forms. This remains a wet finger assessment and not a certainty.
Why do all these mutations appear?
This is the normal life of the virus, quite Darwinian. As of yet, there is no evidence that the UK form is more serious, the only evidence is that it is spreading faster. Note that the European form is different from that which appeared in China. Still, we have already found another form in South Africa, the N501Y which is believed to cause more serious forms. In doubt, Boris Johnson sets up a lockdown with the context of Christmas and New Year.
“I don’t think we should close France’s borders with the United Kingdom. Perhaps the British should be asked to confine themselves upon their arrival, and to identify the populations affected by this change.”
Philippe Amouyel, professor of public health at the Lille University Hospital
to franceinfo
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Do these mutations have an influence on the vaccine?
Yes and no. The vaccines target several areas of the virus, they have several points of attack. According to studies, the mutations that have appeared do not alter the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine, knowing that each vaccine has different points of attack. But this remains to be watched, although it is natural for the virus to evolve. In this context, it remains urgent to implement vaccination.
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