Learning More about B.1.1.7 (B117) Variant

As much as I would like to write about something else, we are still in the midst of a pandemic and that’s what is generating the most questions to me.

To answer questions, I read whatever I can find that looks like it has a solid footing in reality (I love scientific papers) and then translate the most important elements into something resembling plain English here. But there are moments when I find that someone else has already done it. This is one of those moments. I’m going to point you to someone else’s work.

Initially some scientists thought the variant originated in about October in a single chronic COVID patient in Kent. Now it looks like the variant was already circulating in multiple countries in October, including the UK and USA, and may have been circulating in some places even earlier. A cousin who is a doctor in Utah remarked yesterday that this explains why the pattern of cases coming into her hospital changed in November. (Remember, there are time lags from infection to development of symptoms to deterioration that requires hospitalization.)

As a general rule I loathe Twitter, but there is a thread of tweets that does a fine job of stepping through what we know about the B.1.1.7 variant that the UK identified. Click here to go to the thread. It isn’t as close to plain English as I try to go, but it’s very well done and can clarify what’s going on. For example, it shows why groups of teachers in the UK are balking at the government’s desire to make students return to face-to-face classes while the variant is spreading.

What prompted the thread is a report issued by Imperial College London. Click here is you want to read the report yourself.

Westminster is trying not to sound too alarmed about this variant, but the consequences of letting it become rampant are ugly to contemplate. How much is it shaping policy? You can see it. First look at a map of where the B.1.1.7 (B117) variant has been found in England and Scotland. Then look at a map of where England has imposed Tier 4 restrictions. That tells us how important it is not to let this variant have its way.