New Delhi, India
Edited By: Moohita Kaur Garg
Updated: Dec
26, 2022, 04:49 PM IST
Representative
image. Experts warn that every new Covid infection offers the virus a
chance to mutate and given the way it is circulating in China, variables like
the recently discontinued zero-Covid rules, high population, high overall
vaccination but low booster rates and the unavailability of the more effective
foreign mRNA vaccines could contribute to a highly fertile breeding ground for
a coronavirus mutation. Photograph:(Others)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Experts warn
that partially vaccinated populations like the one in China "put
pressure" on the virus to mutate and it is impossible to predict if the
new mutation will cause more severe disease. Apparently, there is no inherent
reason for the coronavirus to become milder over time
China's rising number of COVID-19 cases
has sparked the worry that the surge might unleash a new mutant variant of the
deadly virus into the world.
As per Dr Stuart Campbell Ray, an
infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University, China's large population
has limited immunity, which "seems to be the setting in which we may see
an explosion of a new variant."
Experts warn that every new Covid
infection offers the virus a chance to mutate, and given the way it is
circulating in China, variables like the recently discontinued zero-Covid
rules, high population, high overall vaccination but low booster rates and the
unavailability of the more effective foreign mRNA vaccines could contribute to
a highly fertile breeding ground for a coronavirus mutation.
China: No Covid data to be
available from December 25th
"When we've seen big waves of
infection, it's often followed by new variants being generated,"
said Ray comparing the coronavirus to a boxer that "learns to
evade the skills that you have and adapt to get around those."
The current surge in China is believed
to be driven by the BF.7 subvariant, with many other Omicron variants believed
to be circulating among the population.
Dr Shan-Lu Liu, who studies viruses at
Ohio State University as per an AP report said that BF.7 is very adept at
evading immunity.
Also read | China’s top health body says it will no longer
publish daily Covid infection numbers
Experts warn that partially vaccinated
populations like the one in China "put pressure" on the virus to
mutate and it is impossible to predict if the new mutation will cause more
severe disease. Apparently, there is no inherent reason for the coronavirus to
become milder over time.
"Much of the mildness we've
experienced over the past six to 12 months in many parts of the world has been
due to accumulated immunity either through vaccination or infection, not because
the virus has changed" in severity, says Ray.
Also read | Chinese authorities face criticism over
distributing traditional medicine, not ibuprofen and paracetamol
The World Health Organization has
also expressed concern as cities run out of intensive care beds and a staff
shortage is witnessed amid reports of severe disease in China.
"We don't know all of what's going
on", currently little is known about the genetic viral sequencing coming
out of China says Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts
Medical School warning, "the pandemic is not over."
(With inputs from agencies)
https://www.wionews.com/science/china-a-fertile-breeding-ground-for-a-potentially-dangerous-covid-mutation-experts-546567
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