A new variant of the coronavirus has been detected in twelve people in France. It emerges from a research report from the IHU Méditerranée Infection in Marseille.
– New mutants are coming all the time. What is now most interesting is to follow the mutants that take over the spread of infection. It is not the case that every new mutant gives a great deal of concern, says subject director Frode Forland in FHI to TV 2.
According to the report, the new variant has been named B.1.640.2, and has 46 mutations, including several mutations that make it more contagious and that it can avoid human immune system.
There is no evidence that the infection causes more serious illness.
Expect many infected
On Tuesday, a new infection record was set in Norway, with close to 8000 new infected. Forland is aware that FHI expects high infection rates also in the future.
– We must prepare for the fact that this is the start of the January wave. Now that we have got omicron as the dominant virus variant in Norway, there will be more people who become infected in the future, Forland believes.
The increase in infection at the beginning of the year, he believes, was expected. Nevertheless, he believes that infection rates on Tuesday are unnaturally high, due to delays after Christmas, as well as testing of school students and staff.
– The good news, however, is that most people who are fully vaccinated do not get seriously ill. We see that the number of hospital admissions and those who need intensive care are smaller, says Forland.
– Why should we then be so worried that the infection rates increase?
– It is this steep increase in infection rates that two to three weeks later will lead to many inpatients, which is the challenge. The fact that many will then also have to be quarantined, and be ill, can lead to challenges for the operation of important societal functions in the future.
Evaluating measures
Among other things, FHI recommends infection control measures to the government. Today’s measures are valid until 14 January, and Forland says that all measures are reassessed on an ongoing basis.
– We look at the entire toolbox here. It’s about how to set up a yellow level in the school, use of bar stops, use of distance and home office, says Forland.
However, he believes it is too early to introduce any relief.
– Everyone is under consideration, and then it is up to the government to weigh the various advantages in relation to infection control, against the disadvantages this has for the operation of society.
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