Economist Podcasts Stresses of strains: emerging coronavirus variants
Jan 5, 2021
Jeff Carr, Science editor for The Economist, and Wendelin von Bredow, Business writer for The Economist, dive into the alarming emergence of more transmissible coronavirus variants from Britain and South Africa. They discuss the implications for vaccine efficacy and public health strategies. The conversation shifts to a significant lawsuit against Walmart over its role in the opioid crisis, exploring legal ramifications and corporate responsibility. They also touch on the challenges of unused vacation days stemming from the pandemic's toll on work-life balance.
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Increased Infectiousness of New Variants
- Two new COVID-19 variants share a common mutation in the spike protein.
- This mutation likely increases the virus's infectiousness by strengthening its attachment to cells.
Danger of New Variants
- The new variants are not inherently more dangerous, according to current understanding.
- Evolutionary theory suggests that successful viruses become more transmissible and less dangerous.
Dominance of New Variants
- The more transmissible variants are expected to become dominant.
- The British variant has spread to more countries than the South African one.