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Bhubaneswar: Here is a Covid-19 emergency alert for the people of Odisha. Either people here have to follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour diligently or get ready to brace the virulence of new 'double mutant' variants of Kerala and Maharashtra that has surreptitiously made their way into Odisha.
As per the data released by the National Centre For Disease Control (NCDC), the new 'double mutant' of concern have been identified in India. The mutants E484Q-L452R and N440K have also been traced to Odisha. While only 1 new Maharashtra 'mutant of concern' has been found in Odisha, a total of 5 new Kerala (N440K) mutant of concerns were detected.
HOW IT'S IN PEOPLE'S HAND?
As per WHO, "When a virus is widely circulating in a population and causing many infections, the likelihood of the virus mutating increases. The more opportunities a virus has to spread, the more it replicates – and the more opportunities it has to undergo changes."
And the solution, again as per WHO, "Stopping the spread at the source remains key."
The Global health body explained it further in a very simpler way. It said,
"Current measures to reduce transmission – including frequent hand washing, wearing a mask, physical distancing, good ventilation and avoiding crowded places or closed settings – continue to work against new variants by reducing the amount of viral transmission and therefore also reducing opportunities for the virus to mutate."
THE EVIDENCE: As Maharashtra and Kerala have been witnessing the higher number of coronavirus cases indicating wider circulation, the SARS-nCoV2 has undergone maximum mutations in the two states.
WHY THE PRESENCE OF 'DOUBLE MUTANT' VIRUS IS BAD?
As per the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG), samples from Maharashtra has revealed a rise in the fraction of samples with the E484Q and L452R mutations, which is ‘double variant’ or a variant with two mutations.
Similarly, INSACOG has also found N440K in 123 samples from 11 districts of Kerala.
While only 1 sample of 'double variant' was found in Odisha, 5 samples in the State were detected with the N440K variant. But the new variant was found in around 33 per cent of samples in Andhra Pradesh and around 50 per cent of samples in Telangana.
WHY THEY ARE NEW 'MUTANTS OF CONCERN'?
As per INSACOG, both mutants are immune evasive - which means they escape the immune system of the host and increase the infectivity.
A virus will evade the immune system when the immune system of host unable to detect the pathogen (the mutant virus).
As per the US-based Centre For Disease Control (CDC), the mutations are of concern because, since many mutants are immune evasive, they can duck the antibody generated by the vaccines.
Though the point of solace so far is no studies have proved these mutants can evade the antibodies generated post-vaccination. But the studies are not yet conclusive, observed CDC.
Therefore, the best prevention therapy is to stop the circulation of the Covid-19 virus.
