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New UK Coronavirus strain more transmissible, why?

4 points by ed_elliott_asc ↗ HN
Does anyone know why a new strain would be more transmissible than the previous when people are wearing masks etc?

9 comments

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dave4420
Have you been to a UK supermarket recently? Plenty of people are not wearing masks, the ventilation is inadequate, and so on.

In any case, masks are not about reducing transmission to zero, they’re about reducing transmission enough that the number of infections won’t grow. If the new strain is more transmissible then we need greater measures to reduce its spread… or a different strategy.

[dead] knight2002
you are absolutely right, people are getting more and more reluctant
ed_elliott_asc
Waitrose yesterday everyone had a mask, a couple of people in the queue outside didn’t but hoping they were going to put them on.

I don’t think there should be any reason someone is allowed not to wear a mask - if there is a genuine reason why they can’t wear one then they shouldn’t be allowed in the shops

dave4420
Most shoppers in my local Aldi wear a mask. A few do not, or don’t wear it properly. Same with the staff. I am no longer shopping there as a result.

I hear the same is true at Tesco.

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commonturtle
Selection pressure / natural selection. Any new strain that is more transmissible will transmit faster than other strains, and therefore grow in prevalence compared to other strains.
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m0llusk
Coronavirus is seasonal with highest transmission in northern latitudes from mid December to mid January. Exactly why is not certain, but the prime suspect is Vitamin D levels which typically crash population wide during that time. If that is the case then we should expect a spike of infections whether masks or new strains are involved or not.