As I said before I've decided not to participate in this post for various reasons.
I will make an exception here:
For those interested in some science (trivia depending on point of view) here are the Pango lineages of the various Covid variants
The current main Delta Pango code is B.1.617.2 (which also includes all the AY codes)
There is a new rapidly mutation variant of interest (VOI): C.1.2 which is originating in South Africa and has the greatest genetic distance from the original Wuhan Variant - Pango A (from whose RNA sequence used for all the current vaccines).
Its not yet a variant of concern (VOC)
The average mutations/year - actually called substitutions/year - is about 26/year
C.1.2 about double that
Delta variants in the middle about 30-40
Also people seem to talk about the Delta variant as the Delta Variant. There are multiple subtypes and continual mutation. In certain people who are Covid positive and are immune compromised - who can harbour the covid virus for a long time, these viruses can mutate within the human body.
(One patient covid positive for 155 days - the Covid virus mutated 20 times)
Mutation can be good or bad.
The other message from this is thatVOc will generally come from areas of low immunity (Alpha - no immunity, Delta - India, and now C.1.2 from South Africa)
What that means is uncertain. Rapid mutations can often result in a short lived variant
Apart from South Africa, it has been seen in New Zealand, UK, Portugal
The further the variant is from Pango A, the higher the possibility that vaccines become less effective and tests less accurate (if mapped over time).
The extent to which that occurs is yet to be demonstrated.
At the moment I am uncertain where the mutations are on the virus.
Also evidence that 3rd Pfizer is effective - efficacy at least 92%
cov-lineages.org
(The circle represents mutation speed)
![Screen Shot 2021-08-31 at 6.20.45 pm.png Screen Shot 2021-08-31 at 6.20.45 pm.png](https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/data/attachments/245/245276-e5bf9d728218608da3518c31d9061992.jpg)
(Paper here:
The continuous evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa: a new lineage with rapid accumulation of mutations of concern and global detection)
.......
Viral load over time comparing Unvaccinated infected vs Vaccinated infected (= vaccine breakthrough) for B.1.617.2
Ct is the number of PCR cycles required to detect virus. Higher means lower viral loads
Depending on testing regime Ct higher than 30-35 = negative Covid test.
![Screen Shot 2021-08-31 at 7.35.32 pm.png Screen Shot 2021-08-31 at 7.35.32 pm.png](https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/data/attachments/245/245280-b3bf9884d0068d5a2ce6a554191e065c.jpg)