01:00 pm
Monday 06 September 2021
Books – Syed Metwally
Since the emergence of the new strain of corona virus, about a year and a half ago, the virus has mutated several times, first alpha, then delta, lambda and now researchers have discovered a new type of corona called “Mu”.
This mutated virus was recently classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization, and it was first detected in Colombia in January 2021. In the past seven months, it has been reported in about 39 countries around the world.
The question remains.. Will there be more dangerous variables for Corona?.. Here is what we review, according to the timesofindia website.
Is the mu variant more contagious than delta?
The genetic makeup of the Mu variant differs from the original strain of the virus, and this also means that it can easily evade the protection offered by the Corona vaccines that are being offered around the world. Delta, prevalent in most parts of the world, according to early studies by researchers from Italy, the Mu variant is susceptible to the antibodies produced by the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, however, they do not work as efficiently as they work on the original strain of the virus, another early study from the Kingdom indicates. It is suggested that certain mutations may help the Mu variant escape from the immune system.
Why does the virus mutate?
A different type of virus occurs when there is a change or mutation in the original genetic makeup of the virus. The general nature of the RNA of the virus, including the coronavirus, evolves and changes its structure over time. Having a virus is not new and the same goes for COVID-19. All viruses including the flu and the cold mutate over time, that’s why it’s recommended to take the flu shot every year to deal with the newest version of the virus.
What is an interesting alternative?
Viruses are generally categorized under two divisions – ‘variant of concern’ and ‘variant of interest’ The mu variant has been described as an interesting variant, which means it appears to have the potential to cause more damage, ‘mu’ has the potential to cause More damage, but there is still less evidence to confirm this.
Aside from this new variant that emerged in Colombia, the World Health Organization has classified four other variables – eta, iota, kappa and lambda – as being of interest.
Some preliminary studies indicate that mu is a dangerous variable and may even dominate the delta variable in the times to come, in such a case, it will be promoted as a worrisome variable like alpha, beta, gamma and delta.
Will there be more new variants of the coronavirus?
Yes, mutating the virus is completely normal, with its spread to different regions, ethnicities and geographic areas, RNA continues to mutate, since the inception of Corona, its variants have been discovered from different parts of the world from time to time, some variants are less contagious, they come and go and do not Nobody knows about them, while others are more contagious and have the potential to cause greater harm to humans.
Are vaccines effective in these variants?
The vaccine that is currently being given was developed according to the genetic makeup of the original strain of the virus. Most of these vaccines target the spiky protein of the virus when they try to get it into cells. The vaccines expose us to the elevated protein of the virus so that our immune system learns to fight after contact with the Corona virus.
Due to the change in the spike protein structure of the variant, the vaccine may not be effective on them.
Conclusion
A new variant may arrive from time to time and can also escape the protection offered by vaccination, it is difficult to determine which variant will be more contagious or will be immune from the vaccine, for the same reasons, booster injections are introduced, booster injections help fight variants and reduce the risk of infection, are The booster injection is given in many viral infections such as influenza, tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (DTaP).
.
