Expert warns 17M Astrazeneca vaccines may be ineffective if PH fails to contain South African variant
- An expert gave a warning about the new South African variant that was already detected in the Philippines vis-a-vis the 17 million Astrazeneca vaccines that were ordered by the government
- The expert stated that if the new South African variant is not contained, then it may render the Astrazeneca vaccines ineffective
- He anchored his statement on studies, which purportedly showed that the said variant lowers the efficacy of a number of COVID-19 vaccines
- A separate report published in The Guardian stated that while the Astrazeneca is less protective against the South African variant, it may still offer protection against serious illness that may be caused by the said variant
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The Philippine government purchased 17 million Astrazeneca vaccines but an expert is warning that if the South African variant is not contained in the Philippines, the vaccines will be rendered ineffective.
This was the statement made by OCTA research fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco.
Source: UGC
In CNN's report, Austriaco quoted studies, which purportedly showed that the new South African variant, particularly the B.1.351, lowers the efficacy of the Oxford-made vaccine.
He also stated that the rate of decrease in efficacy is huge such that from a 70% efficacy, it is lowered to 10%.
He even described it as akin to being injected with water with an efficacy rate of 10% in the face of the South African variant.
A report in The Guardian stated, however, that while Astrazeneca has less efficacy against this variant, it offers only "slightly less protection" against the UK variant. Hence, it stated that it is very likely that it will also protect against serious diseases that will be caused by the new variant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that cases attributed to the B.1.351 have already been detected outside of South Africa. It also noted that the variant was first detected in the US, particularly at the end of January 2021.
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The COVID-19 outbreak started out in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. Scientists believed that the virus came from an animal at one of Wuhan's wet markets. The Philippines has slowly eased quarantine measures and Filipinos are starting to adapt to the new normal.
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Doctors are warning the public that they have seen some long-lasting effects on coronavirus patients especially young ones. The patients have already recovered from the illness but they exhibited some lasting side effects. Malaise and difficulty breathing were among the effects that doctors see, with a number of patients becoming bedridden. Some patients became bedridden even though that they only suffered from a mild case of COVID-19.
The pandemic has caused many people to be more vigilant with their health especially that the immune system plays a very important role in fighting the virus. Fruits are among the best sources of immunity-boosting vitamins and minerals. Some of the fruits that could literally improve immunity include dalanghita and chico. Health experts have reminded the public to keep their immune system strong to help fight off the virus.
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
