Original title: Omi Keron strain introduced into many countries, scientists urged “Quick shot vaccine”
Strictly preventing the spread of the mutant strain of the new crown virus Omi Keron has become a new target for global epidemic prevention. Within two days from the 26th to the 27th, many countries have imposed cross-border flights and travel bans against South Africa and its surrounding countries, which reported the new strain first, hoping to isolate this new strain, which may be more dangerous than Delta. In addition, the United Kingdom has reported the first confirmed cases of the Omi Keron strain, and related suspected cases have also been found in European countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.
Health professionals said that at this stage, widespread vaccination of the new crown vaccine is still an effective way to curb the spread of the virus, and the public should be vaccinated as soon as possible.
The new strain has sneaked into Europe. The British Ministry of Health confirmed on the 27th that two cases of Omi Kiron strain infection were found in the UK. The patient had traveled to Southern Africa and has now been quarantined.
On the 26th, the Belgian government took the lead in announcing the confirmed case of an imported Omi Keron strain infection. She was a young woman who had not been vaccinated with the new crown vaccine and returned to Belgium from Egypt via Turkey.
The Ministry of Health of the Netherlands announced on the 27th that a total of 61 passengers on the two flights from Johannesburg, South Africa to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, tested positive for the new crown virus on the 26th. The virus samples are being analyzed to confirm whether it is the Omi Keron strain.
The government of the German state of Hessen announced on the 27th that a passenger returning from South Africa is suspected of being infected with the Omi Keron strain.
The United States, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Oman and other countries have joined the ranks of countries that have issued entry bans for passengers and flights from southern African countries. Restricted countries include South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
In South Africa, some British tourists ended their vacation trips ahead of schedule and rushed to return home before the travel ban took effect, worrying that they would not be able to return home one step later.
“I think we grabbed the last two seats of the flight.” At Johannesburg International Airport, a 24-year-old British man Toby Ryder said. He and his girlfriend were watching the sunrise on Table Mountain in Cape Town when they heard that the United Kingdom restricted the entry of flights from South Africa.
UNICEF South Africa official Toby Frick told the Russian Satellite News Agency that South Africa currently has a sufficient supply of new crown vaccines, but how to increase the vaccination rate as soon as possible is a challenge. He hopes to collaborate with the South African Ministry of Health and local governments, and at the same time seek support from private enterprises. , To achieve this goal by coordinating cold chain transportation and setting up mobile vaccination points.
British scientist Andrew Pollard, who led the joint research and development of vaccines between AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals and the University of Oxford, said that existing vaccines should be able to resist new strains, but the specific situation will not be clarified until more research data is obtained in the next few weeks. He told the BBC on the 27th that he believes that the new strain is “very unlikely” to repeat the rapid spread of the Delta strain, and believes that a vaccine against the new strain can be developed “very quickly”.
German virologist Ulrich Protzer told German Radio that the new strain may accelerate the spread of the new coronavirus, and the public should be vaccinated as soon as possible to boost antibody levels.
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