According to recent scientists' reports, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus may have mutated into two different strains, one of them being much more aggressive than the other. Is there anything to be afraid of?
Recent research by scientists from the Peking University and the Pasteur Institute in Shanghai does not fill us with optimism. After examining the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from 103 patients, they foundmutations in twosites. On this basis, they concluded that the virus had mutated into two strains - "L" and "S". This could negatively affect the effectiveness of the vaccine being developed by research teams from around the world.
Contents:
- Coronavirus - characteristics
- Strain differences
- What about the coronavirus vaccine? "?
Coronavirus - characteristics
Coronaviruses are widespread pathogens in the world that causerespiratory and digestive system infections in humans and animals . When viewed under a microscope, they have a characteristic protein envelope with crown-like protrusions. Coronaviruses are characterized by high genetic diversity and are easy to mutate and to cross the animal-human barrier. The first coronaviruses (HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43) were identified in humans in the 1960s - they caused a mild, self-limiting cold.
Coronaviruses also include the more deadly zoonotic pathogens SARS-CoV and MERS-Cov, which have been responsible for epidemics in recent years.SARS, or severe acute respiratory failure syndrome , killed 774 people out of 8,096 infected in 2002-2003 (mortality - approx. 10%). In turn,MERS, or Middle East respiratory distress syndrome , caused an epidemic in the Middle East in 2012, and in South Korea in 2015. By July 21, 2022, 2,040 cases of the disease and 712 deaths (mortality rate of 36%) were recorded.
The original carrier of the SARS-Cov virus wasChinese paguma , which is a predatory mammal from the subfamily of the Gypsies, while the MERS-Cov virus spread to humans frommonogamous camels . The source of the new SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus was most likely a market in the 11-million-strong city of Wuhan in China, where, among others, wild animals. The virus has breached the species barrierpossibly as a result of someone eating staleseafoodorbat soup .
ForCOVID-19 SARS-Cov-2 coronavirusthe mortality rate is much lower (around 2-3%), but the most dangerous thing is how easily it spreads and the fact that patients become infected at an early stage of the disease, when they themselves do not have symptoms (and these usually appear around the 5th day after infection). Recent studies show that one patient infects 2.2 people on average. Until that number goes down, the epidemic is likely to continue spreading.
Strain differences
According to Dr. Stephen Griffin of the Leeds Institute of Medical Research and the Microbiology Society, it is not surprising that the virus, after crossing the species barrier, couldmutate to better adapt to the new host .
According to the researcher, the twodifferences between the "S" and "L" types relate to an important protein in the envelope called "spike protein" , which plays a key role in the infection process. Worse, the protein is supposed to be influenced by the vaccines under development.
According to recent reports by Xialou Tang's team, the "S" strain of the coronavirus is earlier and less aggressive, while the "L" strain is more dangerous, spreads faster and is probably responsible for 70% of all infections. There is no hard evidence for this yet, so be careful. Dr. Bharat Pankhania of Exeter Medical School says the mutation may be caused by thereplication error , which is very common in RNA viruses. This position is also taken by the WHO authorities, which emphasize that the difference between the "S" and "L" types is so far very small and so far we cannot talk about separate strains or that one is more dangerous than the other.
Research conducted on an American patient showed that a person can become infected with both strains of the virus - infection with one of them does not give permanent immunity to the other type.
Together Against Coronavirus
What about the coronavirus vaccine?
The coronavirus vaccine currently being developed by research institutes and pharmaceutical companies around the world is based on thenew genetic method . It contains mRNA - genetic material isolated from DNA that codes for coronavirus proteins. After it is injected into the body, the cells of the immune system process mRNAs and begin to produce their own proteins in such a way that they are able to generate an immune response and prevent or cause an infection to proceed.much softer.
Virologist Professor Jonathan Ball emphasizes that scientists are not sure whether prototype vaccines for the coronavirus are being developed will also work on mutant strains. Perhaps mutations between viruses do not affect how proteins are coded. To find out, however, further research is needed.
The firstvaccine, developed by the American biotechnology company Moderna in just 6 weeks, will go to Phase I clinical trials (on humans) probably at the end of April. If all is successful, it should be available to the public within approximately 18 months.
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