The new UK variant of the coronavirus has created fresh fears across the world as it is 70% more transmissible. At least 20 people, including a 2-year-old girl, have tested positive for the new strain in India.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Balram Bhargava on Tuesday said that usage of unapproved therapies for COVID-19 treatment-related issues can cause the virus to develop mutants. These therapies can lead to immune pressure on the COVID virus, which may result in mutations like the new strain found in the UK.
New UK COVID Strain: What ICMR has said
- Non-judicious use of therapies that have not been established for Covid-19 treatment are responsible for putting “immune pressure on virus” and leads to virus mutations.
- The frontrunner vaccines are targeting S-protein as well as M-RNA of the virus but as per the findings, the virus may continue to be effective. We have to be very careful to look for any immunity breakthrough that may happen by vaccination,” ICMR said.
- ICMR described that genetic mutations occur and minor drifts may occur in respiratory viruses from time to time but several drifts occur altogether it has a higher transmissibility rate as it happened in the United Kingdom.
- Experts say immune pressure on the virus is often related to therapies or drug used for treatment which helps it develop resistance and mutate.
- The government conducted a two-day dry run for Covid-19 vaccination in four states Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat on December 28 and 29.
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