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The New COVID-19 Variant, explained for curious kids and twitterers.
Imagine the virus in the book "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". Think of the book cover (pictures and words) as the "spike" on the outside of the virus. It's what grabs hold of you so you'll read it.
Imagine the virus in the book "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". Think of the book cover (pictures and words) as the "spike" on the outside of the virus. It's what grabs hold of you so you'll read it.
When you have covid, your body learns to recognize the virus the same way you could remember the book. The cover could remind you of the story, or the phrase "papa bear, mama bear and baby bear" or even "this porridge is too hot" would also remind you of the entire story.
So real infection = know the story.
Vaccination is like only learning to recognize the cover. You saw 3 bears and a little girl with golden hair and read the title, but you don't know the plot. If you knew the cover, and someone showed the book to you, you could identify it.
Vaccination is like only learning to recognize the cover. You saw 3 bears and a little girl with golden hair and read the title, but you don't know the plot. If you knew the cover, and someone showed the book to you, you could identify it.
Vaccination = learning the cover
Now for the new covid variant- If someone showed you a different version of the book cover, you would likely still say, "Oh yeah, I've heard of that story." A different picture or font won't make you think it's something totally different.
Now for the new covid variant- If someone showed you a different version of the book cover, you would likely still say, "Oh yeah, I've heard of that story." A different picture or font won't make you think it's something totally different.
Some changes might make the book more attractive. Maybe this version uses photos or is drawn in a style you enjoy. This is what the new UK variant seems to be. It's pretty much the same story on the inside, but the cover makes people 70% more likely to give it a read.
If you've read the story before, you're immune. You'll still recognize this new variant.
If you get vaccinated, small cover changes won't render your immunity useless.
But enough changes could make the vaccine less effective down the road. Let's mutate our book cover a bit.
If you get vaccinated, small cover changes won't render your immunity useless.
But enough changes could make the vaccine less effective down the road. Let's mutate our book cover a bit.
It's a different style to the only book cover of "Goldilocks and the three Bears" that you've been trained to recognize.
This also has 3 letters changed: "Moldilocks and the three fears"
Minor change, but you might think it's a different story, even though it's not.
This also has 3 letters changed: "Moldilocks and the three fears"
Minor change, but you might think it's a different story, even though it's not.
Someone who knows the story (infected immunity) will recognize it. Someone with superficial bookcover immunity (vaccination) might not, and could get infected with this variant.
Right now, the UK variant has the same title. Our vaccines should still work. It's just shinier.
Right now, the UK variant has the same title. Our vaccines should still work. It's just shinier.
And what happens if a new variant comes out that isn't recognized by our vaccine? We print a new edition ourselves, or several. The beauty of mRNA vaccines is we can recode them so much faster and easier than protein-based ones.
Want to know how cool it could get? We could one day print vaccines in a vending machine. DNA synthesis downloaded like an app update, mRNA made within a little robo lab, purified and dosed into vials. Get vaccinated against all the common viruses circulating in your area.
If we really invest in this science, we could cure a huge swath of viruses. Even the ones that only give temporary immunity. Sequence what people are getting sick with, push that out in the yearly vaccine update.
