On the evening of Sunday, December 20, 2020, the German government announced, according to a report by Agence France-Presse, that European Union experts have reached a conclusion that the current anti-Coronavirus vaccines are effective in combating the new strain of Covid-19, which was monitored especially in Britain.
Where the German Minister of Health, Jens Spahn, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, told the public television channel "ZDF" based on everything we know until now, and after meetings that took place between experts of the European authorities, there is no effect (of the new strain) on vaccines that do not Still effective. "
Conflict about the impact of the Corona vaccine on the new strain of the virus
On the other hand, and unlike the European Union, the head of the American government efforts to develop the Corona vaccine, Doctor Moncef Al-Salawi, on Sunday, suggested the ineffectiveness of Corona vaccines in dealing with the new strain.
As Sallawi, head of the "Rap Speed" operation, said at a press conference: "Most of the vaccines currently available will not be effective with the new Corona virus strain reported in the United Kingdom," according to the American "CNN" network.
The American medical official also added that "the Corona virus may tend to vary, because the RNA process that the virus uses is more prone to errors."
He noted that "critical aspects of the virus, such as the spike protein included in the vaccine, are very specific to Covid-19 and are unlikely to mutate much." "Since vaccines use antibodies to many different parts of the spike protein, the chances of them all changing, I think, are low," Al-Slaoui said.
The suspension of flights to Britain due to the new Corona strain
The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Germany and Kuwait had suspended their flights with Britain, fearing that the new strain of the virus would reach their lands.
Also, on Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed new strict lockdown measures in London and the southeast of England in an attempt to slow the progression of the virus.
To justify the re-imposition of the lockdown, British Health Minister Matt Hancock said, Sunday: "The new strain of Corona has gone out of control. There are measures that may continue until a vaccine is distributed."
Concern in the scientific community about the Corona strain
On the other hand, the emergence of a new strain of Corona virus with a greater ability to spread has raised concern among epidemiologists, prompting many countries to suspend flights with Britain, the birthplace of this version, according to media reports.
It is noteworthy that thousands of different strains were discovered in samples of the virus that cause (Covid-19) disease, but despite their differences, these changes did not prove any effect on the speed of transmission, or the severity of symptoms.
Where Professor Peter Openshaw, a specialist in the immune system at "Imperial College London", told the "Science Media Center" website, "The information about this new strain is very disturbing, especially since it appears to be more transmissible by between 40 to 70%."
Euro News quoted Professor John Edmonds of the London School of Health as saying, "This is very bad news ... it seems that this strain is much more contagious than the previous strain."
The new strain is spreading rapidly
According to Dr. Julian Tang of the University of "Leicester" in central England, "This strain was spread sporadically earlier this year outside Britain, in Australia between June and July, and in the United States in July and in Brazil."
In April, "according to the" Precision vaccinations "website, which publishes research-based vaccination news.
Tang also explained that "the new strain carries a mutation called" N501Y "in the" spiky "protein of the Corona virus, which is present on its surface and allows it to adhere to human cells to penetrate it."
In turn, Professor Julian Hiscox from the University of "Liverpool", in a press statement, pointed out that "Corona viruses mutate all the time and therefore it is not surprising that new strains appear."
"The most important thing is to know if this strain has characteristics that would affect human health, diagnoses and vaccines," he added.
These statements came after the World Health Organization warned of the rapid spread of the new strain of Corona virus around the world, against the background of monitoring cases in the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia.
It is noteworthy that as of Sunday evening, global injuries exceeded 76 million and 901 thousand, of whom one million and 696 thousand and 419 died, and 53 million and 944 thousand and 518 had recovered, according to the "World Meter" website.