READ MORE: The South African variant COVID-19 appears in the Houston area; the city identifies the first strains in the UK
What is the “South African version”?
The coronavirus variant first found in South Africa was detected in October. Since then, it has been found in at least 30 other countries, including the United States
Where was the Houston area found?
Dr. Jacqueline Minter, Fort Bend County Health Director, confirmed that a resident of her county has been confirmed for the strain. The man with the variant recovered.
How do experts examine the South African version?
Verification of these variants was performed by analyzing a random sample of COVID-19 tests. For now, Texas is breaking down the virus to see its structure and sending this data to its partners at Utah Public Health Lab to perform analysis and identification of variants. The state is currently working on the implementation of that infrastructure to carry out its own analysis, which should be available somewhere in February.
Do the new variants mean that the current COVID-19 tests are less accurate?
The largest companies and testing laboratories in the country say that their coronavirus tests are ready to accurately identify new strains of the virus as they appear.
Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp., Two of the largest test processing labs in the United States, say they have not reported any change in the accuracy of test data with negative results from the new variant of the coronavirus in the UK.
Is it true that variants are found in our wastewater?
Dr David Persse, medical director for the city of Houston, confirmed at a news conference on Tuesday that last week the city found the first evidence of the UK variant in the wastewater of several neighborhoods. He added that at this time, the South African version was not detected as part of their testing.
SEE: Houston shares early test results on the wastewater virus
Are you more likely to catch the South African version?
Professor Salim Abdool Karim, an infectious disease expert and chief scientific advisor to COVID-19 in South Africa, told ABC News that the variant could be up to 50% more transmissible than pre-existing variants.
If someone already had COVID-19, could they catch it again?
Scientists are not yet completely sure, but they say it is possible. Health officials are worried that if the virus changes enough, people could get COVID-19 a second time.
SEE ALSO: What do new variants of coronavirus mean for Texans? And how can we best protect ourselves?
Is the South African version more dangerous?
It is too early to tell, but it may be harder for doctors to help you treat it. Some tests suggest that South African and Brazilian variants may be less sensitive to antibody drugs or antibody-rich blood from COVID-19 survivors, both of which help people fight the virus.
The limited research currently available shows that the new variants identified so far are no longer deadly, according to the CDC. But they are more contagious, which can lead to more cases. More cases can lead to more hospitalizations and potentially more deaths.
SEE ALSO: What we know so far about COVID-19 variants worldwide
The British version, as well as the one first identified in South Africa, has worried officials and experts because it is easier to transmit than the strain the US has fought so far. And as leaders fight to vaccinate Americans, they say the new strains could spread quickly.
“The projection of the UK (variant) is that by the end of March, the beginning of April, it will probably become more dominant in this country,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. , said on Friday during a news briefing at the White House.
“The fact is that when you have a virus that has the ability to transmit more efficiently than the wild type in the community, sooner or later through the pure viral dynamics itself, it will become more dominant than the wild type,” Fauci said.
Will the vaccines work against the South African version?
Experts warn that this variant may have an impact on the effectiveness of current available vaccines, but testing continues. UTMB-Galveston scientists tested the blood of people vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine against various strains.
The researchers found that fewer neutralizing antibodies were produced in the South African variant compared to the other strain tested.
“We know from the laboratory that many of these vaccines do not work as well against the South African variant,” said Dr. Hana El Sahly of Baylor College of Medicine.
Should you get the vaccine if you can?
Although coronavirus has moved slightly, vaccines appear to provide some level of protection to people who receive them.
Fewer neutralizing antibodies do not mean that the vaccine is less effective. An immune response is still triggered, producing protection above a specific threshold.
The problem is now, researchers simply do not know where this threshold is.
Will people already vaccinated need more photos?
Novavax biotechnology company said it is developing a booster to protect against newly emerged strains.
The company recently announced its vaccine, known as NVX-CoV2373, was 89.3% effective in a Phase 3 clinical trial in the UK, and the vaccine appears to demonstrate clinical efficacy against coronavirus variants. .
In January, Novavax began developing boosters for newer versions.
“The company plans to begin clinical testing of these new vaccines in the second quarter of this year,” Novavax said.
SEE: How well does Pfizer and AstraZeneca work against variants?
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