Darrick Robles The news about new coronavirus mutations is rolling in – and nobody knows what we have to prepare for in the future. One thing is certain: it is important that virus mutations are carefully monitored. But it could also be that the mutations are a harmless development of the virus. dr Annette Alaeus, medical director of the infectious diseases department at Med-Healths, explains.
overview
- The virus is constantly mutating – researchers have already anticipated mutations
- There is no evidence that existing vaccines do not work against the new variants
- As the virus continues to mutate, it could become less dangerous
Viruses are constantly changing through mutation, and new variants of a virus can be expected to emerge over time. Several variants of the virus that causes Covid-19 have been documented around the world during this pandemic. Omicron is the latest virus variant to be classified as of concern.
What do we know so far about virus mutations?
When a cell or virus reproduces, part of the genetic code may not be copied exactly. This process is called mutation.[2]
Most of these mutations have little or no impact on how a virus spreads or how dangerous it is. However, when numerous mutations occur at once, or a single and significant mutation occurs in an important part of the genetic code — say, in the spike protein of the coronavirus — the virus can change so much that it is classified as a new variant.
Several variants of the corona virus are circulating worldwide.
dr Alaeus explains: “None of these variants came as a surprise to the scientific and clinical community. We knew that the virus that spread in Wuhan was not the same as the coronavirus that we first detected in Italy. We also knew that the coronavirus would continue to mutate and develop new variants.”
dr Alaeus adds: “We were prepared for this.” Since the pandemic began, scientists have been sequencing the Covid-19 genome, examining thousands of different mutations to identify new variants that could be more dangerous.
What do I need to know about the Omicron variant?
Omicron is a new strain of the coronavirus. Omicron was first detected in South Africa in late November 2021 and classified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization.
“Omicron has a large number of mutations in the spike protein, which is the main cause for concern,” explains Dr. alaeus Our immune system recognizes the virus via its spike protein. “It could be that the mutations make it harder for our immune system to recognize the virus.”
Is omicron particularly contagious?
“Some researchers say that omicron can be transmitted more quickly, while others say that we have to wait and see,” says Dr. alaeus “We don’t have enough data yet to be sure.”
As coronavirus lockdowns eased in many parts of the world, greater social contact could account for higher transmission rates. “Sometimes we experience outbreaks that have more to do with our behavior than with the virus itself,” said Dr. alaeus It is important to be patient and await the new information that will be released in the coming weeks.
Is Omicron more dangerous than Delta?
Another question is how sick the new variant could make us. “Omicron may be more contagious, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to severe disease,” said Dr. alaeus Reports from South Africa indicate that omicron causes mild illness, with symptoms such as fatigue being particularly common.
However, these results cannot necessarily be generalized, warns Dr. alaeus “South Africa’s population is younger and has a lower vaccination rate compared to Western countries. We’ll have a clearer idea once we have data from older populations and vaccinates.
How are new variants recognized?
Great Britain leads in Europe with these tests. Since its inception in April last year, COVID-19 Genomics UK – a group made up of public health officials, academic institutions and research organizations – has sequenced 140,000 viral genomes from people infected with Covid-19.
dr Alaeus says: “In the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands, researchers are very experienced and are sequencing almost constantly, but in other countries regular sequencing has not been carried out. If you look for variants, you will find them.”
Variants such as delta and omicron have received significant media attention, but nearly thousands of variants (ie changes in the genetic code) of the coronavirus have now been identified. Most of them, such as a rare variant with a spike protein change that was detected in Stockholm in April 2021, are only reported in the specialist press.
How effective are the vaccines against the new corona variants?
“Research agrees that the vaccines work, but it’s possible that they’re less effective against omicron than against other variants,” explains Dr. alaeus
But even if that should be the case, we are not back at the beginning. “It’s not a new virus,” says Dr. alaeus “It only takes about 3 months to produce a new vaccine against a new dominant variant.”
Even if vaccines become less effective, they will still work. dr Alaeus says: “Even if the effectiveness of the vaccines goes from 95% to, say, 70%, ultimately it won’t make much of a difference. Efficacy doesn’t suddenly drop to zero.”
There are first indications from research that a booster vaccination offers better protection against the omicron variant.
These vaccines are also relatively easy to adapt. In the future, risk patients can receive a slightly modified corona vaccination at the beginning of each winter, just as we do today with the flu vaccination .
What is the best way to protect myself from Omicron?
Vaccines are still our best protection against the virus. “Anyone who hasn’t got it yet should get vaccinated, and anyone who has the opportunity should get a booster vaccination, ” says Dr. alaeus
In addition, we should consistently adhere to the measures that we have known since the beginning of the pandemic: i.e. keep your distance, wear a mask, ventilate regularly, wash your hands and use the Corona warning app.
“It can be tedious waiting for answers, but we must not rush the science,” says Dr. alaeus “We’ll have a clearer picture in a few weeks,” she assures.
Is there any good news?
The new variants of coronavirus could prove less dangerous because when a virus causes severe illness, it also reduces its ability to spread.[15] It is actually not in the interest of the virus to cause deaths, since we are the host that allows the virus to survive and continue to spread.[16]
Part of the reason why cold viruses spread so well is because they cause symptoms so mild that we often continue to go to work or school—thus spreading the infection further.
Until further notice, we should all continue to protect ourselves by observing current restrictions and the AHA+L formula.
