A scarier one is spreading… The main cause of the coronavirus resurgence is ‘this’

KP.3 is structurally similar to JN.1, but there is a change in ‘spike protein’. Spike protein is a viral surface protein that the COVID-19 virus uses when it invades human cells. The spike protein binds to the human receptor protein (ACE2) receptor, allowing the virus to attack human cells.

KP.3 had an additional mutation called F456L located in the spike protein. It is believed that this mutation plays a role in allowing the virus to bind more easily to the ACE2 receptor. The increased binding affinity means that the infectivity of the virus has increased.

It is a completely natural phenomenon that viruses continue to move. Viruses move under ‘selection pressure’. Selection pressure is the pressure that causes organisms to survive in their habitat. It includes all the biological, chemical and physical factors that cause the selective proliferation of individuals with traits that are beneficial for survival. The virus has also continued to multiply selectively in a way that is beneficial for survival.

It is difficult to predict the magnitude or direction of change. The COVID-19 virus contains 30,000 nucleotides, which are DNA segments. Even if one of these changes, it is not easy to know what effect it will have on the overall properties of the virus, such as infectivity or virulence. In addition, it must be noted that mutations do not occur in isolation but usually occur in several areas.

Even now, several mutations are occurring. Mutations such as alpha, delta, gamma, and mu, including omicron mutations, have been given special names because they require close monitoring for infection and hospital admission rates. WHO currently lists KP.3, KP.2, JN.1.7, JN.1.18, and LB.1 as mutations they are monitoring. KP.3 was reported to the WHO last February, and was marked as a variant note by the WHO on May 3.

Some are concerned that if mutations continue to occur, mutations that increase the death rate or hospital admission rate may emerge. This means that so-called highly toxic viruses may appear. But, fortunately, there have been no cases of better poisoning so far. Since the COVID-19 virus began to spread in December 2019, it has undergone several mutations, but only the mutation that reached a higher level of transmission has survived.

There are no survival variables that increase the death rate or hospital admission rate. Experts believe that mutations that increase infectivity will become a dominant trait because the virus has difficulty surviving if the human host dies quickly.

There are also concerns that mutations that could render vaccines ineffective could appear. Most vaccines work on the principle of weakening the function of the spike protein. It targets the spike protein to strengthen our body’s immune function. There is concern that if mutations in the spike protein continue to occur, the effectiveness of the vaccine may decrease.

In preparation for this, vaccine manufacturers are releasing new vaccines this month. Vaccine manufacturers such as Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax plan to release vaccines that target the JN.1 mutation. The JN.1 mutation is closely related to the KP.3 mutation. For this reason, companies believe that “the protective effect against the KP.3 mutation will be significant. “

Symptoms of KP.3 are similar to normal symptoms of COVID-19. The main symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, and loss of taste or smell. Some may experience a sore throat, headache, or muscle pain. Experts said, “Vaccination is one of the most effective tools to prepare for COVID-19,” and “The intense recovery is partly due to the overall increase in face-to-face contact most summer, in this case, getting a shot increases the risk of serious disease and hospitalization.” “It can be greatly reduced,” he said.

Scientists stressed, above all, that it is important to continuously monitor the mutations of COVID-19. The COVID-19 virus belongs to an axis that moves faster than other viruses. This means that mutations that become more toxic or that have greatly increased immune defense capabilities can appear at any time. There is advice that the strain of mutation analysis should be drawn even during an endemic period.