A new Covid variant: stop flights with Brazil

There is again concern in the scientific world about the Brazilian variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus called P.1, under close observation for fear that it may be the first to make the vaccine ineffective.

Having already analyzed, in recent weeks, the new English and South African strain, this variant “is of particular concern in the scientific community and has already prompted the UK government to close the borders to travelers from Brazil, after a case of Covid triggered by this variant has been mapped in Great Britain ”, he reports The Corriere della Sera.

After blocking flights to and from Brazil, the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza also issued a new ordinance which determines the prohibition of entry into Italy for those who have been in Brazil in the last 14 days and the obligation to swab for those who are already in our country and always come from Brazil.

“I signed a new ordinance that blocks flights departing from Brazil and prohibits the entry into Italy of those who have passed through it in the last 14 days,” said the minister by publishing a post on Facebook. Specifying that “Anyone who is already in Italy, coming from that territory, is required to undergo a swab by contacting the prevention departments“And adding” It is crucial that our scientists can study the new variant in depth. In the meantime, let’s choose the path of maximum prudence ».

The good news, meanwhile, is that a recent analysis by Pfizer and University of Texas Medical Branch researchers on the blood of immunized people confirmed that the vaccine developed by the US giant together with the German biotech BioNTech would also be effective against the different variants identified in recent months in the genome of the virus. Including the one present in the so-called English and South African variants, as well as 15 others.