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The Rise of Covid-19 as vaccinations increase
(Last Updated On: March 26, 2021)
According to the World Health Organisation, all viruses – including SARS-CoV-2, the one that causes COVID-19 – evolve over time. When a virus replicates or makes copies of itself, it sometimes changes a little bit, which is very normal. These changes are known as “mutations”. A virus with one or more new mutations is referred to as a “variant” of the original virus. The second surge in cases that has put the entire world in jeopardy, once again, is a by-product of the new variants of the Covid-19 virus. However, the vaccination programme is also moving at a great speed which makes us hopeful for living in a world without masks.
Birth of a variant:
When the virus’ circulation increases in a densely populated area, the probability of it mutating and creating new variants also increases. The more opportunities a virus has to spread, the more it replicates – and the more opportunities it has to undergo changes. Most viral mutations do not impact the original virus’ capability to spread and infect people. But depending on where the changes are located in the virus’s genetic material, they may affect a virus’s properties, such as transmission (for example, it may spread more or less easily) or severity (for example, it may cause more or less severe disease). In the case of SARS-CoV-2, the newer variants are transmitting at a greater speed, generating infections at a faster pace. Therefore, resulting in higher daily cases.
Effect on the vaccines:
The vaccines that are currently being used in India – Covishield (A collaboration of the Oxford University with the German Pharamceutical giant – Astrazeneca, developed by the Serum Institute of India) and Covaxin (A collaboration between Hyderabad pharma company Bharat Bio-tech with the Indian council of Medical research) are expected to provide protection from the newer variants of the virus after the second shot. This is because these vaccines trigger a strong immune response involving a range of antibodies and cells. Therefore, a change or mutation of the virus does not make the vaccines completely ineffective. In the event that any of these vaccines prove to be less effective against the new variants, it is possible to change the composition of the vaccines to provide protection from the new variants. However, scientists and researchers are still learning about this, so it is important to offer them support and continue to get yourselves vaccinated. It is also important to adhere to the basic guidelines which help in curbing the rise in daily cases. Rigorous sanitisation, face masks, maintenance of personal hygiene – these practices should be continued until advised.
The aforementioned helps us in understanding the current position of the virus and the surge in cases in our country. With the newly imposed lockdown, it is difficult to get out of the house and avail of different services, which is why we suggest you either visit our website or download the Surite app. We, at Surite, ensure the best of everything – best quality products at best prices. We encourage quality healthcare anywhere and at any time. Our main goal at Surite is to make healthcare accessible to all patients.
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