這種新冠變異毒株，是一種突變的突變
Sy Mukherjee
2021-06-25
請做好準備，在全球疫苗接種率上升之前，你可能會不斷聽到這種說法：還有另一種新冠病毒變異株需要關(guān)注。這不是在美國接種不足的地區(qū)感染人數(shù)激增的德爾塔變異毒株。這是新冠病毒“德爾塔+”變異毒株（Delta Plus）。它似乎比首次在印度發(fā)現(xiàn)的原始德爾塔變異毒株更具傳染性。正如許多病毒身上經(jīng)常發(fā)生的情形一樣，這是一種突變的突變。
印度衛(wèi)生部本周表示，已經(jīng)在全國四個邦確認了至少22例“德爾塔+”感染病例。該國衛(wèi)生部門現(xiàn)在將這種病毒株稱為“高關(guān)注變異株”（variant of concern）。這種變體可能具有更強的傳染性和危險性，或者對現(xiàn)有的治療方案和疫苗不太敏感，所以需要密切關(guān)注。這種特殊的變異毒株最初是在歐洲發(fā)現(xiàn)的（盡管德爾塔變異毒株最初是在印度發(fā)現(xiàn)的），但隨后開始侵襲印度的馬哈拉施特拉邦、喀拉拉邦和中央邦等地。
印度政府還表示，目前已經(jīng)有9個國家報告了這種變異毒株的感染病例。該毒株的官方名稱為AY.1或B.1.617.2.1。這些國家包括美國、英國、葡萄牙、瑞士、日本、波蘭、尼泊爾、中國和俄羅斯。
那么，新冠病毒的最新變體對我們的威脅大嗎？正如一些公共衛(wèi)生官員所指出的那樣，現(xiàn)在下結(jié)論還有點早。印度政府決定將這種新毒株的風險狀況從“需留意變異株”（variant of interest）升級為“高關(guān)注變異株”，但迄今可以獲得的數(shù)據(jù)仍然非常有限，這是造成混亂的主要原因，因為根據(jù)世界衛(wèi)生組織（World Health Organization）的定義，將“德爾塔+”稱為“需留意變異株”似乎更合適一些。
“目前還沒有數(shù)據(jù)支持將它升級為‘高關(guān)注變異株’這種做法。”倫敦皇家學會（Royal Society of London）的病毒學家、研究員加甘迪普?康在接受英國廣播公司（BBC）采訪時這樣評價印度政府的決定。她補充說，要真正評估一種病原體是不是“高關(guān)注變異毒株”，你必須對數(shù)百名患者進行長期監(jiān)測，看看這種突變是否會增加住院和死亡的可能性，是否會降低新冠藥物和疫苗的治療和預防效果。
這需要對患者進行真實的監(jiān)測，看他們的病情如何，并追蹤對“德爾塔+”的免疫反應等因素。印度政府這樣做可能只是過度謹慎的緣故。畢竟，這個全球第二人口大國已經(jīng)經(jīng)歷了兩波不同的新冠疫情，迫切希望避免第三次。
在美國，原始的德爾塔變異毒株已經(jīng)足以讓人擔憂了——美國疾病控制中心（CDC）上周將其稱為“高關(guān)注變異毒株”。本月初，美國新報告的新冠感染病例中約有10%是由德爾塔毒株引起的。僅僅兩周后，它現(xiàn)在占到新報告病例的20%，而且似乎在年輕人中傳播得特別快。
如果不提高疫苗接種率加以預防，這個數(shù)字可能會繼續(xù)攀升。但初步研究表明，接種兩劑后，輝瑞（Pfizer）和阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）的疫苗在預防因為感染德爾塔變異毒株而住院治療方面的有效性為92%至96%。
迄今為止，世界衛(wèi)生組織已經(jīng)確定了至少10種主要的新冠病毒變體，其中有的是“需留意變異毒株”，有的是“高關(guān)注變異毒株”。（財富中文網(wǎng)）
譯者：任文科
請做好準備，在全球疫苗接種率上升之前，你可能會不斷聽到這種說法：還有另一種新冠病毒變異株需要關(guān)注。這不是在美國接種不足的地區(qū)感染人數(shù)激增的德爾塔變異毒株。這是新冠病毒“德爾塔+”變異毒株（Delta Plus）。它似乎比首次在印度發(fā)現(xiàn)的原始德爾塔變異毒株更具傳染性。正如許多病毒身上經(jīng)常發(fā)生的情形一樣，這是一種突變的突變。
印度衛(wèi)生部本周表示，已經(jīng)在全國四個邦確認了至少22例“德爾塔+”感染病例。該國衛(wèi)生部門現(xiàn)在將這種病毒株稱為“高關(guān)注變異株”（variant of concern）。這種變體可能具有更強的傳染性和危險性，或者對現(xiàn)有的治療方案和疫苗不太敏感，所以需要密切關(guān)注。這種特殊的變異毒株最初是在歐洲發(fā)現(xiàn)的（盡管德爾塔變異毒株最初是在印度發(fā)現(xiàn)的），但隨后開始侵襲印度的馬哈拉施特拉邦、喀拉拉邦和中央邦等地。
印度政府還表示，目前已經(jīng)有9個國家報告了這種變異毒株的感染病例。該毒株的官方名稱為AY.1或B.1.617.2.1。這些國家包括美國、英國、葡萄牙、瑞士、日本、波蘭、尼泊爾、中國和俄羅斯。
那么，新冠病毒的最新變體對我們的威脅大嗎？正如一些公共衛(wèi)生官員所指出的那樣，現(xiàn)在下結(jié)論還有點早。印度政府決定將這種新毒株的風險狀況從“需留意變異株”（variant of interest）升級為“高關(guān)注變異株”，但迄今可以獲得的數(shù)據(jù)仍然非常有限，這是造成混亂的主要原因，因為根據(jù)世界衛(wèi)生組織（World Health Organization）的定義，將“德爾塔+”稱為“需留意變異株”似乎更合適一些。
“目前還沒有數(shù)據(jù)支持將它升級為‘高關(guān)注變異株’這種做法。”倫敦皇家學會（Royal Society of London）的病毒學家、研究員加甘迪普?康在接受英國廣播公司（BBC）采訪時這樣評價印度政府的決定。她補充說，要真正評估一種病原體是不是“高關(guān)注變異毒株”，你必須對數(shù)百名患者進行長期監(jiān)測，看看這種突變是否會增加住院和死亡的可能性，是否會降低新冠藥物和疫苗的治療和預防效果。
這需要對患者進行真實的監(jiān)測，看他們的病情如何，并追蹤對“德爾塔+”的免疫反應等因素。印度政府這樣做可能只是過度謹慎的緣故。畢竟，這個全球第二人口大國已經(jīng)經(jīng)歷了兩波不同的新冠疫情，迫切希望避免第三次。
在美國，原始的德爾塔變異毒株已經(jīng)足以讓人擔憂了——美國疾病控制中心（CDC）上周將其稱為“高關(guān)注變異毒株”。本月初，美國新報告的新冠感染病例中約有10%是由德爾塔毒株引起的。僅僅兩周后，它現(xiàn)在占到新報告病例的20%，而且似乎在年輕人中傳播得特別快。
如果不提高疫苗接種率加以預防，這個數(shù)字可能會繼續(xù)攀升。但初步研究表明，接種兩劑后，輝瑞（Pfizer）和阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）的疫苗在預防因為感染德爾塔變異毒株而住院治療方面的有效性為92%至96%。
迄今為止，世界衛(wèi)生組織已經(jīng)確定了至少10種主要的新冠病毒變體，其中有的是“需留意變異毒株”，有的是“高關(guān)注變異毒株”。（財富中文網(wǎng)）
譯者：任文科
Get ready to hear this again and again until global vaccination rates rise: There's another concerning COVID variant to keep an eye on. No, not quite the Delta coronavirus mutation that’s surging in under-vaccinated regions across the U.S. This is the COVID Delta Plus variant, and it's a seemingly more contagious coronavirus strain that sprang from the original Delta variant first detected in India—a mutation of a mutation, as tends to happen with many viruses.
This week, India's health ministry said it had identified at least 22 cases of people infected with the Delta Plus variant in the country across four states and is now dubbing the strain a "variant of concern," a mutation that may be more transmissible and dangerous or less susceptible to available treatments and vaccines—one to keep an eye on. This particular variant was first seen in Europe (even though the Delta variant was originally identified in India) but has since been hitting Indian states such as Maharashtra, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh.
The Indian government also says that nine countries have now reported cases of the strain, which is being called either AY.1 or B.1.617.2.1 as official scientific names. Those nations include the U.S., the U.K., Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, China, and Russia.
Just how worried should you be about COVID's latest mutation? It’s a bit early to tell, as some public health officials have pointed out. The Indian government's decision to upgrade this new strain's risk status from "variant of interest" to variant of concern with such little data available to date has been the main source of confusion, since a variant of interest seems to better fit the bill for the Delta Plus strain under World Health Organization (WHO) definitions.
"There is no data yet to support the variant of concern claim," Dr. Gagandeep Kang, a virologist and fellow at the Royal Society of London, told the BBC regarding the decision. She added that in order to actually assess a pathogen as a variant of concern, you have to monitor hundreds of patients over time and see whether or not the mutation makes hospitalization and death more likely, or a response to COVID drugs and vaccines less likely.
That would require both real-world monitoring of patients to see how sick they get and tracing factors such as immune responses to the Delta Plus strain. It may simply be a matter of extreme caution in India, which has already seen two distinct COVID waves and desperately wants to avoid a third.
There's already plenty to worry about in the U.S. with the original Delta variant, which was dubbed a variant of concern by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) last week. At the beginning of the month, about 10% of new reported COVID cases in America were caused by the Delta strain. Just two weeks later, it's now making up 20% of new reported cases and seems to be spreading particularly quickly among younger people.
That figure could continue to climb without even more vaccine vigilance. But preliminary studies suggest vaccines from Pfizer and AstraZeneca were 92% to 96% effective in preventing Delta variant–related hospitalizations following two doses of those shots.
There have been at least 10 major COVID variant classes, either of interest or of concern, identified by the WHO.
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