Healthy Living: COVID-19 Variants Explained

You may have been hearing a lot lately about the new COVID variants recently detected in other parts of the world – the UK variant, the South Africa variant, and the most recent Brazil variant. But what do scientists know about the new variants, and what does it mean for us in Belize? Here’s more in tonight’s Healthy Living.

Marleni Cuellar, Reporting

When talking about the new Covid-19 variants, the first thing we must understand, according to Internist & Intensivist Dr. Jorge Hidalgo, is that it is normal for viruses to mutate.

Jorge Hidalgo

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo, Internist/Intensivist, Belize Healthcare

“It mutates since day one, meaning that some mutations are imperceptible. Some mutations end the virus’s life more quickly but in some mutations like the UK virus. Those mutations will have some properties that will take advantage.”

When those mutations start to change the behavior of the virus, there is cause for concern. In September of 2020, the first variant was discovered in the UK, the following month, in October, another new variant was found in South Africa. And now there is confirmation of a Brazilian variant. These three variants are concerning because they are all more transmissible.

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo

“More transmissible means, if you remember, we usually have the spike of the virus, the spike protein that makes it more attached to the body. The way how we get it is more easy.   It’s basically the ability for the virus to attach to the person and make the person sick more easy.”

According to Dr. Hidalgo, there is added concern about the new Brazilian variant, and it’s potential for causing re-infection.

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo

“This particular one they are saying they are saying that there are problems with the antibodies, but I think we need more information with this particular one.”

How does this impact our prevention efforts here in Belize? At this time, samples have been sent outside the country to test the country’s strain. We do not have those results as yet.

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo

“What we need to do immediately is try to adhere to what we are preaching all the time; social distancing measures and of course isolation and quarantine.  In a country like us where, unfortunately, we don’t have all the resources, it’s best to prevent rather than in a few weeks we see and escalate in cases that probably can be out of control.  I was talking to a colleague in Spain, and they are saying that the number of cases that they are seeing is out of hand right now. It is the fact that more people are getting sick, and unfortunately, it is the more vulnerable people. We know right it makes more people sick, which means there are more people in the hospitals and which means that the health system is more stressed and more people in the I.C.U. means that is the reason why we also see more mortality.”

Scientists say the best way to stop these and future variants is by slowing the virus’ spread. For some countries, that is through vaccination, which – so far – proves effective against the new variants.

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo

“So far, the Pfizer and Moderna they are also tried and showed some data that it already prove effectivity with that.”

Until Belize gets access to the vaccine, Hidalgo says we can stop transmission by wearing your mask, hand washing, social distancing, and avoiding crowds.