03-02-2021, 12:00 PM
62
Re: British Coronavirus
Originally Posted by Bruce
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There was a report on the ABC radio this morning that there is yet another new strain in the UK which experts fear may be resistant to existing vaccines.Have you heard anything about this?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...id-19-23427479
The highly-contagious Kent strain of coronavirus has mutated again and it is feared the new version could be more resistant to vaccines.
The E484K mutation, which occurs on the spike protein of the virus, is the same change as has been seen in the South African and Brazilian variants that have made them partially resistant to immune response and caused international concern.
It means people who have already had Covid-19 could catch it again and it could reduce the efficacy of vaccines.
Professor Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC radio: "The mutation of most concern, which we call E484K, has also occurred spontaneously in the new Kent strain in parts of the country too."
He was referring to the UK variant, which scientists call B.1.1.7 and which was first detected in Kent last autumn.
03-02-2021, 01:41 PM
63
Re: British Coronavirus
It has just been confirmed that we have a new Covid mutation confirmed here in Bristol. 11 cases with the mutation have been confirmed so far.https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/b...rities-4959632
03-02-2021, 02:17 PM
64
Re: British Coronavirus
The Telegraph is reporting this:"Coronavirus latest news: Vaccines to tackle new variants expected by autumn, says AstraZeneca"
'Sir Mene Pangalos, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca, told a media briefing the firm was working on vaccines against variants and wanted to have them ready "as rapidly as possible".
"We're working very hard and we're already talking about not just the variants that we have ... but also the clinical studies that we need to run," he said.'
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-h...testing-covid/
As the UK are world leaders in the genome sequencing which identifies new variants and with the new Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre due to open before the end of the year, the UK's strategy has the potential to keep delivering an effective solution not only for us but for the world with our innovation.
The VMIC is to aid scale-ups in production with different types of vaccines and this research facility and factory in Oxford alone will have the capacity to manufacture up to 70 million doses of vaccine every four to six months.
It isn't just for Covid either; this was planned way back at the end of 2018 as a weapon against serious infectious diseases such as influenza, Ebola, Zika and Lassa fever.
The pandemic has however bought opening of the facility forward and has refocussed the main area of research and manufacturing towards Covid-19 for now.
03-02-2021, 02:34 PM
65
Re: British Coronavirus
Originally Posted by Zaphod
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The Telegraph is reporting this:"Coronavirus latest news: Vaccines to tackle new variants expected by autumn, says AstraZeneca"
'Sir Mene Pangalos, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca, told a media briefing the firm was working on vaccines against variants and wanted to have them ready "as rapidly as possible".
"We're working very hard and we're already talking about not just the variants that we have ... but also the clinical studies that we need to run," he said.'
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-h...testing-covid/
As the UK are world leaders in the genome sequencing which identifies new variants and with the new Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre due to open before the end of the year, the UK's strategy has the potential to keep delivering an effective solution not only for us but for the world with our innovation.
The VMIC is to aid scale-ups in production with different types of vaccines and this research facility and factory in Oxford alone will have the capacity to manufacture up to 70 million doses of vaccine every four to six months.
It isn't just for Covid either; this was planned way back at the end of 2018 as a weapon against serious infectious diseases such as influenza, Ebola, Zika and Lassa fever.
The pandemic has however bought opening of the facility forward and has refocussed the main area of research and manufacturing towards Covid-19 for now.
I suppose they run on high overheads then ??
Donkeyman! 🤔🤔
03-02-2021, 04:53 PM
66
Re: British Coronavirus
I'm not saying I subscribe to this stuff, but:If somebody had engineered this virus to do the maximum damage to the human race, they have done a good job to make it undefeatable, when you consider all the new strains that are appearing....It's certainly giving the scientists a run for their money.
03-02-2021, 04:55 PM
67
Re: British Coronavirus
Originally Posted by Donkeyman
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I believe astra zeneka is a not for profit company Zaphod ?I suppose they run on high overheads then ??
Donkeyman! 🤔🤔
AstraZeneca is like any company; it exists to make money.
I think you're mistaking AstraZeneca's promise not to make profit from their Covid-19 vaccines during the course of the pandemic with the company as a whole being a not-for-profit company, the latter being incorrect.
AZ will not make a loss on these vaccines as all costs will be covered, but remember that as a company it has a turnover in the tens of billions of pounds per year and also it has considerable assets.
The AZ vaccine is the cheapest of all Covid-19 vaccines so far and they are AFAIK the only company to make their Covid-19 vaccines with the promise not to profit during the pandemic.
There has been some question as the the accuracy and the motives behind AZ's claim but it is interesting to see that no other manufacturer has made the same promise at this, a time of global pandemic.
03-02-2021, 04:58 PM
68
Re: British Coronavirus
It seems that Switzerland has entered into the AZ fray by banning their vaccine until further results are available.https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...cine-uk-latest
All the more for us then.
03-02-2021, 04:58 PM
69
Re: British Coronavirus
Originally Posted by OldGreyFox
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I'm not saying I subscribe to this stuff, but:If somebody had engineered this virus to do the maximum damage to the human race, they have done a good job to make it undefeatable, when you consider all the new strains that are appearing....It's certainly giving the scientists a run for their money.
I'm not saying that I completely disagree but ............. if you wanted to design a virus to really damage the world wouldn't you design it so that it killed more than just a few percent of the people it infected?
Viruses mutate, especially Coronaviruses.
The common cold is a strain of Coronavirus.
Over 40 years of research here in the UK might have helped with our understanding but they still couldn't find a cure for the common cold; however we have progressed since those days.
03-02-2021, 05:13 PM
70
Re: British Coronavirus
Originally Posted by Zaphod
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I hear you.I'm not saying that I completely disagree but ............. if you wanted to design a virus to really damage the world wouldn't you design it so that it killed more than just a few percent of the people it infected?
Viruses mutate, especially Coronaviruses.
The common cold is a strain of Coronavirus.
Over 40 years of research here in the UK might have helped with our understanding but they still couldn't find a cure for the common cold; however we have progressed since those days.
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