Coronavirus: UK cases surpass ten million during pandemic
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On Friday the World Health Organisation (WHO) convened a special meeting to mobilise an international response to a new variant of coronavirus. The sequence of this variant – currently called B.1.1.529 – was first uploaded by Hong Kong, from a case of someone travelling from South Africa. Owing to its unusually large number of mutations, there are growing fears that the new variant may evade some of the immunity conferred from vaccines.
This concerning picture means it is paramount to watch out for the symptoms of coronavirus, even if you’re fully jabbed.
Although specific features of the strain – named Omicron and designated a “variant of concern” by WHO – are yet to emerge, there are distinct symptoms of coronavirus reported in those fully vaccinated.
Drawing on data from millions of users, the ZOE COVID study app has provided a guide to the warning signs of Covid post-vaccination.
“If you’ve been vaccinated and start sneezing or coughing a lot without an explanation, you should stay home and get a Covid test, especially if you’re living or working around people who are at greater risk from the disease,” advised the team behind the app.
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They continued: “Sneezing and coughing is a key way that viruses spread. Try to cover all coughs and sneezes with tissue or the inside of your elbow to minimise the spread of droplets.
“Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth until you wash your hands.
“Sneezing and coughing a lot could be a potential sign that someone vaccinated has COVID-19 and, however mild, should take a test and self-isolate to protect their friends, family and colleagues.”
According to the ZOE COVID study experts, another key symptom of Covid infection is loss of smell or taste, “so if you notice you’re experiencing this be sure to take a lateral flow or PCR test to confirm”.
Omicron – how the world is responding
A number of pharmaceutical firms have voiced their commitment to tweak vaccines against the new concerning strain of coronavirus that has sparked travel bans.
It comes in the wake of the strain reaching Belgium after being discovered in South Africa.
Novavax said it has “already initiated development of a new recombinant spike protein based on the known genetic sequence of B.1.1.529 and will have it ready to begin testing and manufacturing within the next few weeks”.
Moderna said: “Since early 2021, Moderna has advanced a comprehensive strategy to anticipate new variants of concern.
“This strategy includes three levels of response should the currently authorised 50 ?g (microgram) booster dose of mRNA-1273 prove insufficient to boost waning immunity against the Omicron variant.”
Pfizer and BioNTech said that in the event of a variant which could escape the effects of the vaccines, the firm expects “to be able to develop and produce a tailor-made vaccine against that variant in approximately 100 days, subject to regulatory approval”.
AstraZeneca said it has “developed, in close collaboration with Oxford University, a vaccine platform that enables us to respond quickly to new variants that may emerge” and is “already conducting research in locations where the variant has been identified”.
The firm is also testing its antibody combination drug against the new variant and is “hopeful” it “will retain efficacy since it comprises two potent antibodies with different and complementary activities against the virus”.
No cases of the new strain have been detected in the UK but its arrival in Belgium – after being found in Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel – has heightened concerns.
Marc Van Ranst, a virologist at the Rega Institute in Belgium, said a sample was confirmed as the variant in a traveller who returned from Egypt on November 11 before first showing symptoms 11 days later.
The six African countries were added to the UK’s travel red list on Thursday evening and passengers arriving in the UK from these countries from 4am on Sunday will be required to book and pay for a Government-approved hotel quarantine for 10 days.
Downing Street urged anyone who has arrived from those countries recently to get tested.
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