Covid: I was hoping to be done with this topic, but no.
1. New Botswana variant has more mutations than other variants, especially on the spike proteins. Those coat the outer shell, and are the “face” it shows the world, by which it is recognized.
2. Therefore, there is a risk (not a certainty) this variant will be invisible to existing vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
3. Botswana variant already has spread to Israel, Europe, Hong Kong. So it will be in your hometown soon.
4. Viruses usually evolve to be more infectious and less lethal, because that is a better survival strategy. However, this is just a tendency, which doesn’t happen with every variant of every virus.
5. There is increasingly violent resistance, and irrational self-destructive behavior, to any public health measures. Fatalism in populations, and apathy in governments, will be the non-response to this variant.
6. It is no surprise, this new variant comes out of Africa. Most nations outside Africa have achieved 40-80% vaccination rates. Most African nations <10%. The world has failed to help Africa get vaccines, and now we will pay the price for this short-sighted selfishness. Rule #1 in public health: nobody is safe till everyone is safe. Like it or not, you are your brother’s keeper. |
