#Variants. Thread. Aside- as they really seem to behave clinically differently, maybe we should call them strains? Anyway,also looking forward to naming conventions as it’s really inefficient to say B.1.1.7. or whatev and naming by place seems unnecessarily stigmatizing...
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Ignore them at your peril: per UK briefing, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/957504/Variant_of_Concern_VOC_202012_01_Technical_Briefing_5_England.pdf
UK went from <10% to >80 % in 8 weeks.
Requires more stringent control measures- ask Denmark.
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In spite of a tight (school closure-5 person gathering limit) lockdown, Denmark seeing week over week increases (? 7% of cases and climbing) - most of Europe is at 5-10% and nervous. Also now some samples in UK have gained the worrisome E484K mutation- nip these in the bud!
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Short version is that ~50% more transmissible = an epidemic that was comfortably dropping, or level and controlled can reverse and need way harsher measures to get under wraps again. We can’t “play chicken” with this -need to search out cases and stamp out spread. The basics:
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1) stop unnecessary (REALLY) contacts
2) #DistanceHandwashMask - well fitted 3 layer masks with filter (standards would be nice.)
3) Don’t reduce restrictions til we know if we don’t have community spread of variants through good surveillance.
4) reduce importation (travel)
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5) support, and reinforce education for everyone to test if sick, quarantine, and isolate.
6) Enforce #5
7) Keep eye on the ball. Some of these MAY reduce vaccine efficiency and we need to keep lid on, and if needed “whack a mole” transmission down through rollout.
6/

Asked if it’s time to panic yet

...well, maybe don’t waste your energy on panic- turn it to steely determination and smart strategy.
We’ve really learned much, but
the virus has tricks,
we have tools.

We MUST apply all of our hard won lessons like BOSSES and

We’ll be ok.
/fin