After the United Kingdom, the new variant of the coronavirus has been detected for the first time in Germany, France and Spain in recent days. And he could already be in Quebec without even knowing it, warns an expert.
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“It is very likely that these variants are made all over the planet because they had been in circulation in England since September, but we had not recognized them at that time,” explains Dre Cécile Tremblay, microbiologist-infectious disease specialist at the CHUM.
“He may already be [chez nous] and we don’t have the slightest idea. This is the reason why it is better to be more careful and not to take non-essential trips, ”she insists.
While the coronavirus is not its first mutation, this variant is of greater concern because it has been associated with higher transmission.
“Epidemiologically, it has been associated with areas where there has been a higher rate of transmission. It is believed that a possible mutation which is located in the spicule of the envelope of the virus would help it to multiply more quickly ”, details the Dre Tremblay, who recalls that these observations have yet to be demonstrated in the laboratory.
The expert warns that even if this new strain does not seem to be more virulent than the previous ones, its greater contagiousness will cause an increase in contaminations and will inexorably lead to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.
“We want to avoid as much as possible having variants that could make our life even more difficult,” she emphasizes.
While waiting for a sufficient number of Quebecers to be vaccinated, the Dre Tremblay reminds that the application of basic sanitary measures and containment are the only effective protections, particularly during the holiday season.
“The transmission that we are currently experiencing in Quebec and Canada is already appalling and we expect it to be worse after the holidays. If only for that, we must speed up the vaccination campaign as quickly as possible, she notes. The lesson to be learned is not to speed up what we are already trying to speed up, it is to continue to take security measures. ”
