New variant has emerged in Africa, should we be worried?

So pleased they're closing our borders more quickly this time. Big failure on variant D over this.

Sarnia

Last I heard our borders are being closed from noon today until 4am on Sunday!!! Well that will teach the variant, won't it? Don't mess with the UK. After that passengers will have to quarantine in hotels. Don't the Government learn anything? The recent inquiry into their handling of Covid slated them for being so slow in closing our borders for the first lockdown and the quarantine arrangements were not thorough enough. Close the borders to these countries until it is safe to re-open them. Javid telling us our vaccines may not be so effective against this new variant then bring in half-arsed measure to deal with it.

What are you talking about?

TopsyIrene06

I stand corrected.

No you are not wrong. Below I’ve posted an extract from a report dated last month.

“A key constraint has been the supply of doses, with countries across Africa finding themselves at the back of the vaccine delivery queue. Only around 7% of the total doses secured by, or for, LICs in Africa have been delivered to date and the figure for LMICs is around 16%. Over 800 million more doses need to be delivered before year end to vaccinate 40% of Africa’s population by end-2021 (with a two-dose regimen); 1.3 billion more doses need to be delivered to vaccinate 60% of the continent’s population. And new variants may require higher vaccination rates.

World Bank.

I think it highlights what so many people were saying about getting the vaccine to other countries, particularly Third World countries. If they are unprotected, the virus can take hold again (and apparently is) and can mutate unrestricted. I know SA is not a Third World country as such, but I would bet next weeks pension that the vast majority of black citizens, particularly in the townships, are unvaccinated.

Yes, maddyone I am sort of worrying.
But I am also getting so mentally and physically tired of worrying and trying to assess everything that I am starting to think what's the point worrying.

Last I heard our borders are being closed from noon today until 4am on Sunday!!! Well that will teach the variant, won't it? Don't mess with the UK. After that passengers will have to quarantine in hotels. Don't the Government learn anything? The recent inquiry into their handling of Covid slated them for being so slow in closing our borders for the first lockdown and the quarantine arrangements were not thorough enough. Close the borders to these countries until it is safe to re-open them. Javid telling us our vaccines may not be so effective against this new variant then bring in half-arsed measure to deal with it.

It was expected that new variants would arise but it's far too early to predict how deadly it is or whether it will become the dominant one here.

I have no doubt that it's on it's way, though. Stopping flights and insisting on isolation can only slow it down. It's always like shutting the stable door when the horse has bolted.

GrannyGravy13

Flights to and from 6(?) African Countries are banned from later today.

Good! It might prove to be an over-reaction, but I'd rather that than not doing anything.

Flights to and from 6(?) African Countries are banned from later today.

I stand corrected.

TopsyIrene06

Gordon Brown constantly reminded us that until the whole world is vaccinated, nobody is safe. Naturally he was ignored for the most part.

It is obvious to me that we should think of others to help ourselves but that sentiment appears to be rather alien in the UK at the moment.

Andrew Harding has just reporting on the BBC shortage of vaccine is not the problem it’s getting people to take up the offer of vaccination

Nothing they do will prevent it arriving here , 4 weeks to Christmas , add the 2 together , restrictions for New Year !

Gordon Brown constantly reminded us that until the whole world is vaccinated, nobody is safe. Naturally he was ignored for the most part.

It is obvious to me that we should think of others to help ourselves but that sentiment appears to be rather alien in the UK at the moment.

grandMattie

No, I shan’t worry. CV19 has become endemic, has mutated to a more transmissible, less fatal form.
I’m surprised that it took so long for there to be a new variant! Viruses mutate all the time: that’s why we have a new flu vaccine every year- they find the most common variation and make the vaccine for that.

Has it mutated to a less fatal form? If the virus has mutated to a more transmissible, but less fatal form, it's good news, but I thought that's still not known.

No, I shan’t worry. CV19 has become endemic, has mutated to a more transmissible, less fatal form.
I’m surprised that it took so long for there to be a new variant! Viruses mutate all the time: that’s why we have a new flu vaccine every year- they find the most common variation and make the vaccine for that.

I refuse to worry about it. I have no control over it, so it achieves nothing. I will be vigilant though and take what reasonable precautions I can.

Looking at the vaccine levels, Africa has by far the least level of population vaccinated.

We were warned from the start that vaccines should be spread throughout the world, in order to help prevent mutation of a potentially very nasty sort.

Perhaps this might concentrate minds, and the level of vaccine available in the African continent.

I doubt it though.

Let’s not panic. Too little information as yet.
Best we can do is continue to be cautious. Stick with hands, face, space. Don’t go in to crowded places if you don’t have to.
Isolate as best you can if you are immunowhatsit.
What else can we do. No point in getting worked up. Fingers crossed it won’t be as bad as we think and that our scientists continue with their amazing work to vaccinate against and to treat this bloody virus.

No point in worrying, doesn't get us anywhere ?

Mac'n'chise is a bit odd but worth reading. She doesn't over react.

TL;DR - Too early to tell

mobile.twitter.com/sailorrooscout

Well there’s this…

Apparently Yes; Just heard on the radio driving home it's the worse version they've seen. Let's hope we close our borders quickly to SA for now.
As you say, MaybeMaw hopefully vaccines will save the day.

Probably.
But I hope the “back room boffins” have been beavering away in their labs for the last 12 months tweaking the current vaccines so that they can deal with any new variants .
Got to hope.