Health puts the magnifying glass in 11 different types and watches that Brits aren’t holding back

The Ministry of Health is keeping eleven different species under surveillance, including the Indian and the Colombian, of which the first cases have already been confirmed in Spain, and is controlling that the British, who remain dominant, are not holding back as it may signal the expansion of others.

The latest update of the report on the epidemiological status of SARS-CoV-2 variants of significance to public health in Spain refers to those with the greatest impact (or VOC, for its English acronym “variants of concern” (B. 1.1.7 or British, South African) B 1.351) and the Brazilian (p.1).

And the Health Alerts and Emergency Coordination Center adds to it Another eight kinds of attention (VOI), whose impact on public health is still unknown, but “the combination of mutations emerging or expanding at the local level in specific sites makes it advisable to monitor their epidemiological situation at this time.”

It is p. 2 (Rio de Janeiro); B.1.525 (Nigerian); B 1.429 (California); A – 23-1 (Uganda); B.1.526 (New York); B.1.1.7 with the E484K mutation; B.1.617 (India) and B.1.621 (Colombia), which he introduces for the first time.

Regarding India, remember that the majority of cases detected in other countries are imported and that there is community-based transmission in the UK; The L452R, P618R, and E484Q mutations correspond to potential escape immunity and a moderate increase in transmissibility.

The report states that during the first months of this year, all communities registered a The gradual expansion of the British variant Until it reaches the current levels at which it remains stable, and accidents range between 70.4% and 98.5% between regions.

However, despite the predominance of B.1.1.7 for weeks, it is “important to continue monitoring“ its spread until representative information on the sequence – the method for measuring the occurrence of the variable – is available in all societies, ”since a decrease in its prevalence could be an indirect sign of expansion Others. “

Because “labor-intensive” techniques are required to complete the sequencing, specific PCR screens are used initially.

But the document warns that the monitoring system in Spain (SiViEs) only has information on 9, Ceuta and Melilla, which means that it is not possible to “create national representative ratios yet” to trade each of the variables.

However, he adds, the number of serial cases for each type of variable compared to the total in these samples and their evolution “continues to provide valuable information”.