A guide to the UK variant fuelling Thailand’s third wave of COVID-19

[webfact]

This National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease(NIAID) handout photo obtained March 31, 2021 shows a colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (teal) infected with UK B.1.1.7 variant SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (orange), isolated from a patient sample. (Photo by Handout / National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / AFP)

 

By Thai PBS World’s General Desk

 

After wreaking havoc overseas, the highly-contagious UK variant of COVID-19 has entered Thailand and sparked a fresh nationwide outbreak centred on nightspots in Bangkok’s upmarket Thong Lor area.

 

This latest wave of COVID-19 transmissions has triggered even greater alarm, as evidence shows that the UK variant is 1.7 more contagious and deadlier than other strains.

 

What is the UK COVID-19 variant?

 

The world first heard of this variant, also known as B117, in December when the United Kingdom identified a new genome responsible for infections that were spreading fast in Kent despite national restrictions. Further research suggested the variant may have emerged in September 2020 but initially spread at very low levels.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/a-guide-to-the-uk-variant-fuelling-thailands-third-wave-of-covid-19/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-04-12

 

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[RichardColeman]

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Further research suggested the variant may have emerged in September 2020 but initially spread at very low levels.

Just a bizarre co-incidence I guess.

2020. September is record month for migrant Channel crossings

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-54188041

Edited April 11, 2021 by RichardColeman

[WHansen]

I think this article was written before the good Dr Yong Poovorawan announced that the new strain in Thailand, although similar to the UK variant, was different.

It actually matches the variant that has been circulating Cambodia for over month.

Unless the earlier article was not translated correctly of course.

Edited April 11, 2021 by WHansen

[drenddy]

Probably, one of the first lessions in virologi : viruses mutates.

 

Stop the scaremongering.

[WHansen]

Dr Yong

https://www.facebook.com/nbtworld/posts/10157942846797050

 

[JamieM]

I thought they decided to blame Cambodia already? wish they would make their mind up.

 

If they spent as much time handing out / working on quality vaccines (not that 50% Chinese tat) as they do trying to deflect the blame away by pointing in a different direction from their CCP overlords then they would be ahead of the game by now.

[Excel]

1 hour ago, WHansen said:

I think this article was written before the good Dr Yong Poovorawan announced that the new strain in Thailand, although similar to the UK variant, was different.

It actually matches the variant that has been circulating Cambodia for over month.

Unless the earlier article was not translated correctly of course.

But Thai PBS is the governments mouthpiece to the overseas community so don't expect accuracy.

[chasboyuk]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

 

Just a bizarre co-incidence I guess.

2020. September is record month for migrant Channel crossings

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-54188041

Is the correct answer! Probably had been festering for months, in the refugee camps in Calais and Dunkirk.

But don't that get in the way of our former European masters!

Edited April 11, 2021 by chasboyuk
Spelling :)

[Jeffr2]

2 hours ago, WHansen said:

I think this article was written before the good Dr Yong Poovorawan announced that the new strain in Thailand, although similar to the UK variant, was different.

It actually matches the variant that has been circulating Cambodia for over month.

Unless the earlier article was not translated correctly of course.

Bad translation.  He actually said it was the UK variant virus from Cambodia.  Translations here are always a problem.

 

As for scare mongering, it spreads easier and is more deadly.  That's reality, not scare mongering.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2021/03/15/uk-coronavirus-variant-significantly-more-deadly-says-new-study/?sh=7336c9af6a1e

 

U.K. Coronavirus Variant Is Significantly More Deadly, Says New Study

[Scott]

A post with false or misleading information has been reported and removed.

 

[nobodysfriend]

The B117 variant is something to worry about .

But the new P1 variant from Brazil is even more dangerous it seems ...

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/10/out-of-control-brazils-covid-surge-sparks-regional-fears

 

A ticking time bomb

"Officials and experts are concerned about the speed with which the P1 variant, which is likely more infectious, is spreading and the damage it could pose globally. "

 

Lucky it did not arrive here in Thailand yet .

May be time close the borders to tourists again ?

Tourism ? Forget about it . Sorry ...

Edited April 12, 2021 by nobodysfriend

[Jeffr2]

23 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

The B117 variant is something to worry about .

But the new P1 variant from Brazil is even more dangerous it seems ...

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/10/out-of-control-brazils-covid-surge-sparks-regional-fears

 

A ticking time bomb

"Officials and experts are concerned about the speed with which the P1 variant, which is likely more infectious, is spreading and the damage it could pose globally. "

 

Lucky is did not arrive here in Thailand yet .

May be time close the borders to tourists again ?

Tourism ? Forget about it . Sorry ...

This is really scary.  They're saying the mutations found in sewage water is insane.  Can they jump from there to a human?  Crazy times.

 

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.21.21253978v1

 

Detection of Mutations Associated with Variants of Concern Via High Throughput Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 Isolated from NYC Wastewater

 

However, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern threatens to erase gains. Emerging new variants may re-infect persons who have recovered from COVID-19 or may evade vaccine-induced immunity.

[chang1]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

 

Just a bizarre co-incidence I guess.

2020. September is record month for migrant Channel crossings

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-54188041

When it first hit the news, it was suggested it had evolved in someone who had been in ICU for a while giving it time to mutate. Possibly a case of quality medical care making things worse. 

It was a game changer here in the UK. It spread rapidly despite a lockdown (more like a partial lockdown). It seemed much more noticeable compared to the previous wave when hardly anyone I knew had covid. 

Vaccines arrived just in time for us. Thailand needs to take it very seriously as it could spread way faster than what people have been used to with the original strain. I have given up on my summer holiday in LOS as I doubt it can be quarantine free at either end.

[Henryford]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

The B117 variant is something to worry about .

But the new P1 variant from Brazil is even more dangerous it seems ...

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/10/out-of-control-brazils-covid-surge-sparks-regional-fears

 

A ticking time bomb

"Officials and experts are concerned about the speed with which the P1 variant, which is likely more infectious, is spreading and the damage it could pose globally. "

 

Lucky it did not arrive here in Thailand yet .

May be time close the borders to tourists again ?

Tourism ? Forget about it . Sorry ...

 

Can't be that bad. The Covid deaths per million is fewer in Brazil and in the UK

[Jeffr2]

2 minutes ago, Henryford said:

 

Can't be that bad. The Covid deaths per million is fewer in Brazil and in the UK

Not true.

 

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

[Stargeezr]

If you see the grave yards in Brazil, even if it is a small percentage, is a lot of graves, which mean that a lot of

people in Brazil have lost their relatives and friends. Same for the USA, it may be less than a million people

lost there so far, but again that is a lot of relatives and friends in the USA who have died as well.  Lucky for you 

expats in Thailand, who seem to have not lost anyone you know, but just wait a while longer, even a few of you 

will likely get to know that someone you knew has also died.  Say welcome to the UK variety as it has already arrived in Thailand.

Geezer

[Henryford]

55 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Not true.

 

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

 

True according to my source. UK 1896 per million, Brazil 1635.

[Jeffr2]

16 minutes ago, Henryford said:

 

True according to my source. UK 1896 per million, Brazil 1635.

What's your source?

[Harveyboy]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

 

Just a bizarre co-incidence I guess.

2020. September is record month for migrant Channel crossings

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-54188041

at last someone with brains.... could you lend them to the British government ..

 

[metisdead]

A post with derogatory trolling comments toward British people has been removed. 

[djuiiy]

we're supposed to believe a brit variant has got to thailand, so 12 months lockdowns, quarantine and testing have all failed, might as well have not imposed any restrictions at all. we're also not supposed to notice the timing of this, just at britain opens its borders, thailand will close its borders. No mass tourism to thailand is the plan.

[chrisbangkok]

3 hours ago, chang1 said:

When it first hit the news, it was suggested it had evolved in someone who had been in ICU for a while giving it time to mutate. Possibly a case of quality medical care making things worse. 

It was a game changer here in the UK. It spread rapidly despite a lockdown (more like a partial lockdown). It seemed much more noticeable compared to the previous wave when hardly anyone I knew had covid. 

Vaccines arrived just in time for us. Thailand needs to take it very seriously as it could spread way faster than what people have been used to with the original strain. I have given up on my summer holiday in LOS as I doubt it can be quarantine free at either end.

Don't be silly , every good right wing brexiteer knows it's those pesky migrants fault , must be true as mein kampf whoops sorry i mean the Daily Mail says so ... 

[unblocktheplanet]

3 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

This is really scary.  They're saying the mutations found in sewage water is insane.  Can they jump from there to a human?

If you're Covid+, the virus is shed in your poop. The real question is how much viral load is in the poop--think about scooping out the cat box--and whether the virus is being shed airborne such as flushing the toilet. Stay out of public restrooms!

[Mywayboy]

5 hours ago, JamieM said:

I thought they decided to blame Cambodia already? wish they would make their mind up.

 

If they spent as much time handing out / working on quality vaccines (not that 50% Chinese tat) as they do trying to deflect the blame away by pointing in a different direction from their CCP overlords then they would be ahead of the game by now.

Dirty Farang spreading disease again they must be sneaking into Thailand 

[Jeffr2]

5 minutes ago, Mywayboy said:

Dirty Farang spreading disease again they must be sneaking into Thailand 

Actually, it's Thai hi-so's traveling to the casinos and bring it back.  Just like they did with the one in Laos last year.

[timkeen08]

2 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

If you see the grave yards in Brazil, even if it is a small percentage, is a lot of graves, which mean that a lot of

people in Brazil have lost their relatives and friends. Same for the USA, it may be less than a million people

lost there so far, but again that is a lot of relatives and friends in the USA who have died as well.  Lucky for you 

expats in Thailand, who seem to have not lost anyone you know, but just wait a while longer, even a few of you 

will likely get to know that someone you knew has also died.  Say welcome to the UK variety as it has already arrived in Thailand.

Geezer

BS.  I live in Thailand.  I had a friend in America die last year and the father of a friend in America die yesterday.  COVID19 was responsible for both deaths.  My friend was in his 50's with no health issues as well as being fit as a fiddle.  I have no idea if the father had any comorbidities.  Being thankfull, unlike you, no one in my large family still in America has died, tested positive, or was asymptomatic from COVID19.  The same for all my Thai family and friends in Thailand.  Some in America have already been vaccinated with no symptoms but some are like me and choose to wait knowing oh so well how much trust we can have in our US government, big Pharm, or any government.

[canthai55]

39 minutes ago, timkeen08 said:

 knowing oh so well how much trust we can have in our US government, big Pharm, or any government.

Well Said

[canthai55]

Seems to be quite a few Racist remarks in the posts above, blaming migrants for all the ills known to man.

Richard Leakey found the cradle of civilization in East Africa, so I guess unless you are from there we are all migrants.

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by canthai55

[tandor]

8 hours ago, WHansen said:

I think this article was written before the good Dr Yong Poovorawan announced that the new strain in Thailand, although similar to the UK variant, was different.

It actually matches the variant that has been circulating Cambodia for over month.

Unless the earlier article was not translated correctly of course.

..there is no new strain..it is the same original Sars-CoVi-2 virus.

[Jeffr2]

3 minutes ago, tandor said:

..there is no new strain..it is the same original Sars-CoVi-2 virus.

It's not the original strain.  It's a variant.  Of which there are now thousands, with more to come.  Sadly, some are much more deadly.