Is the vaccine still effective against the "Delta" mutant strain? Expert response

Is the vaccine still effective against the "Delta" mutant strain? Expert response

 News 1+1丨Does the vaccine have a protective effect on the "Delta" mutant strain? How to upgrade preventive measures in the face of mutant strains?

In the past seven days, 99% of newly confirmed cases in the UK were infected with the "Delta" mutant strain. In Russia, Moscow Mayor Sobyanin said that 89.3% of Moscow's new coronary pneumonia patients have found the "Delta" mutant strain. Willer, director of the Robert Koch Institute, a German disease control agency, also pointed out that the "delta" mutant strain will become the mainstream strain in Germany by this fall at the latest.

According to the pathogenicity and transmission characteristics of the mutant strains, the World Health Organization has listed 4 new coronavirus mutant strains that "need attention". They are the first strain B.1.1.7-Alpha found in the United Kingdom; the first strain B.1.351-Beta found in South Africa; the earliest strain P.1-Gamma found in Brazil Gamma) and the first strain B.1.617.2-Delta found in India.

"News 1+1" connected with Wei Sheng, a professor at the School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, on the evening of June 21, to jointly pay attention to the new coronavirus variants.

What does virus mutation mean?

Wei Sheng, a professor at the School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology: ① The pathogenicity of the mutant strain has changed, and the epidemiological characteristics have made the epidemic worse. short. ②In addition, virus mutation may also weaken the existing prevention and control measures, treatment methods and vaccine protection to a certain extent. In the course of a period of epidemics, these 4 mutant strains that "need to be concerned" will definitely occupy the "C position" of transmission.

How to treat the "Delta" mutant strain may have a certain immune escape phenomenon?

Wei Sheng, a professor at the School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology: The so-called "immune escape" simply means that after the new coronavirus has mutated, the comprehensive effects of antibodies produced by vaccination on the virus will be weakened. In other words, for example, our existing vaccination can protect 90% of people from infection. If the immune escape effect occurs after the emergence of a new mutant strain, the protective effect may be reduced from 90% to 60%, or even It is completely ineffective, so we must pay special attention to the "immune escape" phenomenon that new mutant strains may produce.

Does the vaccine still have a protective effect on the "Delta" mutant strain?

Wei Sheng, a professor at the School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology: According to the results of the latest experiments, our widely vaccinated vaccine is still effective against the "delta" mutant strain. In particular, it can be seen from the Guangzhou epidemic prevention and control experience that even if people who have completed the full course of immunization with the new crown vaccine become infected, the risk of severe illness is greatly reduced compared to those who have not been vaccinated. So this in turn shows that the vaccines we are vaccinated have a protective effect on our population.

How to win a head-to-head confrontation with the mutant strain of "Delta"?

Wei Sheng, a professor at the School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology: We must speed up epidemiological investigations as soon as possible, expand the number and scope of nucleic acid testing, and increase epidemic prevention measures as soon as possible. These are the keys to quickly controlling the epidemic. In other words, we have to compare the speed and intensity of the spread of the virus in order to control the epidemic faster and better.

Guangdong continues to bear the pressure of overseas imports, and how to upgrade its preventive measures in the face of the "Delta" mutant strain?

Wei Sheng, a professor at the School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology: Guangzhou bears a lot of pressure to control imported cases. It is also a city with a huge population, and the population is very mobile, so the pressure to prevent and control the epidemic is very high. We need to better conduct research and judgment on a regular basis or in real time, and make plans. This may be our future An important experience in the face of similar mutant strains.