英國(guó)首相鮑里斯?約翰遜在1月22日表示,近幾個(gè)月來(lái)在該國(guó)首先發(fā)現(xiàn)的新冠變異毒株,致死率比原始的病毒要高出30%。
此前,英國(guó)政府就曾經(jīng)表示,與原始的新冠病毒(SARS-CoV-2)相比,這種突變毒株的傳播性要強(qiáng)得多,但他們一開(kāi)始并不認(rèn)為它具有更大的致死率。然而1月22日的聲明推翻了這一評(píng)估。
一個(gè)專家小組根據(jù)英國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)檢測(cè)結(jié)果為陽(yáng)性、并隨后死亡的病例數(shù)據(jù)做出了這一新的評(píng)估。此前,該小組就曾經(jīng)在英國(guó)政府應(yīng)對(duì)這種新型呼吸道病毒的威脅時(shí),向他們提供過(guò)建議。倫敦帝國(guó)理工學(xué)院(Imperial College London)的流行病學(xué)家尼爾?弗格森向英國(guó)ITV新聞臺(tái)(ITV News)表示,研究結(jié)果顯示,變異毒株帶來(lái)的死亡風(fēng)險(xiǎn)增加了三成。
弗格森說(shuō),這也就意味著,在每一千名感染這種新病毒的60歲患者中,將有13人死亡,而原始病毒的死亡人數(shù)則為10人。
自疫情爆發(fā)以來(lái),英國(guó)目前面臨著全球最高的死亡病例數(shù)。據(jù)報(bào)道,1月20日,英國(guó)有1,820個(gè)確診病例死亡,創(chuàng)下歷史新高。而從疫情開(kāi)始至今,英國(guó)共有超過(guò)94,500人死于該病毒——其人均死亡病例數(shù)在全球所有大國(guó)中是最高的。
英國(guó)政府的科學(xué)顧問(wèn)帕特里克?瓦倫斯說(shuō),這種新菌株于去年10月在英格蘭南部出現(xiàn),比原始病毒的傳播性要高出30%至70%。這種高傳播性也是英國(guó)實(shí)行新一輪舉國(guó)封禁措施的主要原因。同時(shí),包括美國(guó)在內(nèi)的其他許多國(guó)家/地區(qū)也對(duì)來(lái)自英國(guó)的入境者實(shí)施了更為嚴(yán)格的旅行限制,在大多數(shù)情況下,所有旅客均需要提供核酸檢測(cè)陰性的證明。
在1月22日晚的新聞發(fā)布會(huì)上,約翰遜極力強(qiáng)調(diào),關(guān)于突變毒株致死率的新發(fā)現(xiàn)并沒(méi)有改變科學(xué)家對(duì)疫苗效果的評(píng)估,即目前在英國(guó)使用的新冠疫苗對(duì)突變毒株仍然能夠起到較高的抵御效用。
迄今為止,英國(guó)政府已經(jīng)批準(zhǔn)了三種新冠疫苗,其中包括輝瑞(Pfizer)、阿斯利康(AstraZeneca)和Moderna公司生產(chǎn)的那些。迄今為止,已經(jīng)有538萬(wàn)英國(guó)人(約占該國(guó)人口的8%)注射了一劑輝瑞或阿斯利康疫苗。但據(jù)政府首席醫(yī)學(xué)官克里斯?惠蒂稱,目前,英國(guó)的狀況仍然是每55人中就有1人感染了新冠病毒。
自首次被發(fā)現(xiàn)以來(lái),這種特殊的變異病毒已經(jīng)在至少60個(gè)國(guó)家發(fā)現(xiàn)。在英國(guó)本土,這種新的毒株現(xiàn)已成為許多地方的主要病毒。
同時(shí),南非的變種病毒也在英國(guó)被發(fā)現(xiàn)。瓦倫斯說(shuō),英國(guó)公共衛(wèi)生部門(PHE)最新的數(shù)據(jù)表明,至少有44人被檢測(cè)出感染南非變種病毒。但他也表示,沒(méi)有證據(jù)表明,南非和巴西的變種可以更快地傳播,或取代目前流行于英國(guó)的變種、成為主要的毒株。
美國(guó)國(guó)家過(guò)敏癥與傳染病研究所(U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)的所長(zhǎng)安東尼?福奇于1月22日在白宮新聞發(fā)布會(huì)上說(shuō),迄今為止,在美國(guó)至少有20個(gè)州已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)英國(guó)的變種毒株,聯(lián)邦政府也正在對(duì)其傳播狀況進(jìn)行密切觀察。他說(shuō),目前尚不清楚英國(guó)的毒株是否會(huì)比原始病毒在美國(guó)更為流行。
福奇說(shuō),與南非和巴西等地已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)的其他變異毒株相比,他不太擔(dān)心英國(guó)的毒株,因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)有的疫苗似乎對(duì)其具有抵抗效力,而其他地方出現(xiàn)的變異毒株卻可能意味著,當(dāng)前的疫苗不一定能夠產(chǎn)生較好的抵抗作用。他說(shuō),到目前為止,在美國(guó)還沒(méi)有發(fā)現(xiàn)南非變異毒株的病例。
然而,也有一些英國(guó)科學(xué)家對(duì)英國(guó)變異毒株致死率的新發(fā)現(xiàn)表示懷疑。
英國(guó)諾丁漢大學(xué)(University of Nottingham)的病毒學(xué)教授喬納森?鮑爾在推特(Twitter)上說(shuō):“在ICU承受著巨大壓力時(shí)研究死亡率,可能會(huì)產(chǎn)生誤導(dǎo)。”
“當(dāng)ICU緊張時(shí),醫(yī)療質(zhì)量就可能降低,導(dǎo)致死亡率上升——除非把所有變量都考慮進(jìn)去,否則很難用簡(jiǎn)單的數(shù)學(xué)模型來(lái)推導(dǎo)出因果關(guān)系。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳聰聰
英國(guó)首相鮑里斯?約翰遜在1月22日表示,近幾個(gè)月來(lái)在該國(guó)首先發(fā)現(xiàn)的新冠變異毒株,致死率比原始的病毒要高出30%。
此前,英國(guó)政府就曾經(jīng)表示,與原始的新冠病毒(SARS-CoV-2)相比,這種突變毒株的傳播性要強(qiáng)得多,但他們一開(kāi)始并不認(rèn)為它具有更大的致死率。然而1月22日的聲明推翻了這一評(píng)估。
一個(gè)專家小組根據(jù)英國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)檢測(cè)結(jié)果為陽(yáng)性、并隨后死亡的病例數(shù)據(jù)做出了這一新的評(píng)估。此前,該小組就曾經(jīng)在英國(guó)政府應(yīng)對(duì)這種新型呼吸道病毒的威脅時(shí),向他們提供過(guò)建議。倫敦帝國(guó)理工學(xué)院(Imperial College London)的流行病學(xué)家尼爾?弗格森向英國(guó)ITV新聞臺(tái)(ITV News)表示,研究結(jié)果顯示,變異毒株帶來(lái)的死亡風(fēng)險(xiǎn)增加了三成。
弗格森說(shuō),這也就意味著,在每一千名感染這種新病毒的60歲患者中,將有13人死亡,而原始病毒的死亡人數(shù)則為10人。
自疫情爆發(fā)以來(lái),英國(guó)目前面臨著全球最高的死亡病例數(shù)。據(jù)報(bào)道,1月20日,英國(guó)有1,820個(gè)確診病例死亡,創(chuàng)下歷史新高。而從疫情開(kāi)始至今,英國(guó)共有超過(guò)94,500人死于該病毒——其人均死亡病例數(shù)在全球所有大國(guó)中是最高的。
英國(guó)政府的科學(xué)顧問(wèn)帕特里克?瓦倫斯說(shuō),這種新菌株于去年10月在英格蘭南部出現(xiàn),比原始病毒的傳播性要高出30%至70%。這種高傳播性也是英國(guó)實(shí)行新一輪舉國(guó)封禁措施的主要原因。同時(shí),包括美國(guó)在內(nèi)的其他許多國(guó)家/地區(qū)也對(duì)來(lái)自英國(guó)的入境者實(shí)施了更為嚴(yán)格的旅行限制,在大多數(shù)情況下,所有旅客均需要提供核酸檢測(cè)陰性的證明。
在1月22日晚的新聞發(fā)布會(huì)上,約翰遜極力強(qiáng)調(diào),關(guān)于突變毒株致死率的新發(fā)現(xiàn)并沒(méi)有改變科學(xué)家對(duì)疫苗效果的評(píng)估,即目前在英國(guó)使用的新冠疫苗對(duì)突變毒株仍然能夠起到較高的抵御效用。
迄今為止,英國(guó)政府已經(jīng)批準(zhǔn)了三種新冠疫苗,其中包括輝瑞(Pfizer)、阿斯利康(AstraZeneca)和Moderna公司生產(chǎn)的那些。迄今為止,已經(jīng)有538萬(wàn)英國(guó)人(約占該國(guó)人口的8%)注射了一劑輝瑞或阿斯利康疫苗。但據(jù)政府首席醫(yī)學(xué)官克里斯?惠蒂稱,目前,英國(guó)的狀況仍然是每55人中就有1人感染了新冠病毒。
自首次被發(fā)現(xiàn)以來(lái),這種特殊的變異病毒已經(jīng)在至少60個(gè)國(guó)家發(fā)現(xiàn)。在英國(guó)本土,這種新的毒株現(xiàn)已成為許多地方的主要病毒。
同時(shí),南非的變種病毒也在英國(guó)被發(fā)現(xiàn)。瓦倫斯說(shuō),英國(guó)公共衛(wèi)生部門(PHE)最新的數(shù)據(jù)表明,至少有44人被檢測(cè)出感染南非變種病毒。但他也表示,沒(méi)有證據(jù)表明,南非和巴西的變種可以更快地傳播,或取代目前流行于英國(guó)的變種、成為主要的毒株。
美國(guó)國(guó)家過(guò)敏癥與傳染病研究所(U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)的所長(zhǎng)安東尼?福奇于1月22日在白宮新聞發(fā)布會(huì)上說(shuō),迄今為止,在美國(guó)至少有20個(gè)州已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)英國(guó)的變種毒株,聯(lián)邦政府也正在對(duì)其傳播狀況進(jìn)行密切觀察。他說(shuō),目前尚不清楚英國(guó)的毒株是否會(huì)比原始病毒在美國(guó)更為流行。
福奇說(shuō),與南非和巴西等地已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)的其他變異毒株相比,他不太擔(dān)心英國(guó)的毒株,因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)有的疫苗似乎對(duì)其具有抵抗效力,而其他地方出現(xiàn)的變異毒株卻可能意味著,當(dāng)前的疫苗不一定能夠產(chǎn)生較好的抵抗作用。他說(shuō),到目前為止,在美國(guó)還沒(méi)有發(fā)現(xiàn)南非變異毒株的病例。
然而,也有一些英國(guó)科學(xué)家對(duì)英國(guó)變異毒株致死率的新發(fā)現(xiàn)表示懷疑。
英國(guó)諾丁漢大學(xué)(University of Nottingham)的病毒學(xué)教授喬納森?鮑爾在推特(Twitter)上說(shuō):“在ICU承受著巨大壓力時(shí)研究死亡率,可能會(huì)產(chǎn)生誤導(dǎo)。”
“當(dāng)ICU緊張時(shí),醫(yī)療質(zhì)量就可能降低,導(dǎo)致死亡率上升——除非把所有變量都考慮進(jìn)去,否則很難用簡(jiǎn)單的數(shù)學(xué)模型來(lái)推導(dǎo)出因果關(guān)系。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳聰聰
The mutant coronavirus strain that first emerged in recent months in the U.K. is 30% more deadly than original virus, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced January 22.
Previously, the U.K. government had said that this particular virus strain spread much more easily than the original version of SARS-CoV-2, the virus the causes COVID-19, but that it did not believe it was any more lethal. January 22's announcement reverses that assessment.
A panel of scientists that advises the British government on the threat posed by emerging respiratory viruses made the new assessment based on data from people testing positive who subsequently died in the U.K. It concluded that there was a 1.3-fold increase in the risk of death, Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London who sits on the advisory body, told Britain's ITV News.
Ferguson said that this meant that for every 1,000 people aged 60 who contracted the new strain of the virus, 13 would likely die, compared to 10 with the original strain.
The U.K. is currently facing the highest daily death tolls since the pandemic began. On January 20, 1,820 were reported dead after testing positive for COVID-19 in the U.K., a record high. Since the pandemic began, more than 94,500 people have died in the U.K. from the virus, and the country has the highest death toll per capita of any major country.
Vallance has said that the new strain, which emerged in southern England in October 2020, is between 30% and 70% more transmissible than the original virus. That increase was a major rationale for the new national lockdown in Britain. Meanwhile, many other nations, including the U.S., have imposed much more stringent travel restrictions on arrivals from the U.K., in most cases requiring negative COVID tests of all travelers.
In an evening press conference January 22, Johnson was at pains to emphasize that the new findings about the mutant strain's lethality did not change scientists' assessments that the coronavirus vaccines currently being used in the U.K. would still be highly effective against the mutant strain.
The British government has approved three coronavirus vaccines so far, including those produced by Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna. To date, 5.38 million Britons, or about 8% of the country's population, have received one dose of either the Pfizer or the AstraZeneca vaccine. But it is also thought that about 1 in every 55 people in England is currently infected with coronavirus, according to Chris Whitty, the government's chief medical officer.
Since first being identified, this particular virus variant has been found in at least 60 countries, including the U.S. In the U.K., this new strain is now the dominant one in many parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the South African variant has also reached Britian. Vallance says the latest PHE data suggests at least 44 people have been detected with the South African variant. There’s no evidence the South African and Brazilian variants are able to transmit more quickly or take over and become the dominant variant, he says.
Anthony Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a White House press briefing on January 22 that the U.K. strain of the virus has so far been found in at least 20 U.S. states and that the federal government was monitoring the situation carefully. He said it was not clear yet whether the U.K. strain would become more dominant in the U.S. than the original virus.
Fauci said he was less concerned about the U.K. strain, because the existing vaccines seemed to work against it, than he was about other versions of the virus, which have emerged in South Africa and Brazil. These strains have mutations that mean the current crop of vaccines might not work as well against them, Fauci said. No cases of the South African variant have been found in the U.S. so far, he said.
Some British scientists expressed skepticism about the new analysis about the U.K. variant's lethality, however.
"Interpreting death rates when ICUs are under massive pressure is potentially misleading," Jonathan Ball[/hotlink], a professor of virology at the University of Nottingham in England tweeted.
"When ICUs are strained then standard of care can be compromised and death rates increase. Cause and effect is tricky to establish with mathematical models unless you include all the variables."