Three Strains of Coronavirus

There’s some amazing info coming out of Iceland Chestnut. They say 40 variants!

The paper I read a few weeks ago said they can pick out a specific strain from West Coast USA, from the European Alps etc. It’s really interesting what they are doing there. But of course they have extensive testing (and repeat testing).

The one the UK has has a very high infection rate and morbidity, why is why it is grossly unfair to compare us to, say, Germany whose variant is neither.

One of the world's leading virus experts spoke about the vaccine they are developing at Oxford. She said that they should be able to produce a corona vaccine which will be able to deal with mutations. This is unlike the 'flu vaccine which cannot deal with mutations, and that is why we need to have the vaccine every winter. The 'flu viruses are hugely varied. That is encouraging news.

grandMattie - according to that map the one in Germany is the same as the UK and Europe, apart from Italy and Spain which are different.

Chestnut
That is very encouraging. I know that there are about 80 different laboratories worldwide trying to develop a vaccine, but I’ve been following the story of the possible vaccine being developed in Oxford. It’s very encouraging, I’ll be so disappointed if it all comes to nothing.

maddyone - she wasn't able to say how long the vaccine would protect but she said it was likely to be longer than a dose of the virus. People who've had the virus sometimes seem to be getting infected again, so protection may not last very long. But the vaccine will protect for longer.

This was a very interesting interview. It was on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday if you want to pick it up on BBC iPlayer. This woman knows what she's talking about!

Yes Chestnut I had heard some people are getting the virus again, especially in China. I’m glad it’s been said that the vaccine will give longer protection, hopefully anyway. I so hope that the vaccine proves to be effective and safe. I can’t face living in lockdown like this for an unspecified time, it’s already affecting my mental health. And my poor 92 year old mother is locked into her sheltered apartment and hasn’t had a visitor for four weeks (we get her food tagged on to our click and collect.) All our hope is pinned on a vaccine.

I didn’t watch Andrew Marr, I’ll watch it on iPlayer. Thanks.

I agree with you Chestnut - about the UK strain being the same as Germany (that's my understanding anyway) and the woman on Marr.

There's also research in the UK about why some people are more badly affected than others. If the scientists can find a link, it would be possible to target protection (shielding) better and maybe give some clues how to treat it.

It's all going to take time and I just hope the government doesn't do a "Trump".

Oh so do I growstuff.

I think we're all praying this vaccine will be effective and safe. There's so much depending on it. She indicated that the 18-55 group will be the first to get it, not the young and old. They need to see how it rolls out I suppose. No good giving it to oldies if it turns out to have some negative reactions, the oldies will not be able to cope with it.

I don’t know Chestnut I think I m fitted than a lot of overweight under worked younger people sitting in their mobility scooters