Scientists were concerned early in the epidemic, fearing that the coronavirus may evolve into something more deadly. Unfortunately, that worry was verified in November 2020 when the first "variant of concern" was found. The newly identified variation, also known as COVID-19 - B117, has been linked to a large increase in cases particularly in London and south-east England and many other parts of the world.
So, in this blog, I’ll be talking about COVID Mutations and what it means for us. So, Let’s begin by taking a brief look at mutations and how they occur.
In biology, a mutation is something that causes a change in the genetic material. Each and every element of a cell's existence is controlled by the same genetic material. A cell's genetic makeup determines how it develops, functions, behaves, responds, and finally dies. These mutations can occur for a variety of causes. It can occur as a result of errors, radiation damage, or chemical exposure.
In fact, mutations can happen at any time. As a result, mutations might be harmful, neutral, or even beneficial to an organism.
So, you might be wondering how Coronavirus is affected by mutation?
Well, the coronavirus attaches to our body's cells using a specific protein. Spike proteins are proteins that aid the COVID virus in latching onto human cells and initiating infection. Because of mutations in these proteins, the virus is able to adhere to our cells more firmly, making it more infectious.
Furthermore, mutations in this area allow the virus to avoid our body's own immune system, allowing it to spread unchecked. This mutation has been termed as ‘E484K,' and as of December 1, 2021, the UK recorded a total of 14000 instances each day, with a decreasing trend.
After this strain on 5th Jan 2021 – UK was reporting a record high 60000 cases per day with an increasing trend. It has been discovered that the new strain is more infectious than the previous ones. According to the CDC. "Multiple lines of evidence show that B.1.1.7 is more effectively spread than other SARS-CoV-2 variants". According to UK Biobank researchers, most patients infected with COVID-19 maintain the antibodies for three to six months.
Your antibodies may not be able to protect you if you come into touch with another strain of the virus, such as the extremely infectious variety from the United Kingdom, and physicians feel your risk of reinfection is considerable. This is concerning because it raises the risk of coronavirus reinfection, especially in severely or chronically sick individuals.
What does this mean for us in the present?
Things appear to be on the mend for the time being. The need of fast and decisive action appears to have been recognised across the world. Countries shut off overseas travel as soon as the news of the new strain became public, particularly from the United Kingdom. Those who had already returned were tracked down, quarantined, and tested as soon as possible. Even nations like India, where covid has already impacted over 10 million people, have successfully halted the spread of this alien strain.
What about the vaccine?
Well, things are a little strange here. Studies were conducted in New York, Texas, and Cambridge to determine the efficacy of current vaccination alternatives against the new strain. They evaluated freshly vaccinated people' antibodies against the novel covid 19 UK strain. Their findings revealed that, while the vaccine's efficacy in protecting against versions harbouring the E484K mutation was somewhat decreased for some persons, it was still within acceptable limits for the majority of people. It's worth noting, however, that the research mentioned above are based on relatively tiny sample sizes, so any conclusions drawn aren't conclusive.
What does this mean for the future?
This mutation is a foretaste of what's to come. Covid's future will be filled with fresh shocks and unknowns. The long-term effects of this epidemic are yet unknown. It's possible that another altered strain isn't far behind. On a more optimistic note, all hope is not gone; we have fresh information and experience with which to prepare.
We have global mass vaccination programmes that are coordinated by corporations all around the world and sponsored by governments, and they have the ability to permanently address this problem. To reduce the load, we're looking into medicines, novel therapies, and complementary and alternative medicine. Governments are actively taking efforts to eradicate this illness, such as mass media campaigns, raising public awareness, boosting health spending, and working with scientific specialists.