Corona mutant is causing concern in several countries – VG

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The new omicron mutant, BA. 2.75, raises concerns in research communities around the world, according to AP News.

The variant has been detected in several states in India where an increase in infection is now being seen. AP News writes that the variant must have been detected in about ten countries, including Canada, the USA, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom.

It is unclear whether this mutant is more dangerous or more contagious than BA. 5 variant, writes the news agency.

VG mentioned BA. The 5 variant earlier this summer when FHI announced that there would be a new wave of infections. This was because the variant managed to penetrate our antibodies, despite previous infection or vaccination.

Follows the variant closely

“The fact that infection has already been mapped in several places in the world, even with a low degree of surveillance, is an early indication that the virus is spreading,” Shishi Lou, responsible for infectious diseases at the organization Helix, told AP News.

Matthew Binnicker, director of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, tells the AP that it is too early to draw any conclusions yet, but that infection rates in countries like India may indicate that it is more contagious.

– Whether it will outcompete BA.5 is, however, too early to say, he says.

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Professor of medicine at the University of Oslo Anne Spurkland is an immunologist, and explains that it is too early to know how serious the mutation is.

– BA. The 2.75 variant has a number of changes in the spike protein, but so far few cases of the variant have been found.

Spurkland says that researchers agree that we will see new varieties that will be transmitted independently of vaccination and previous disease, because the virus is able to change and penetrate our immunity.

She says that researchers have begun to follow the variant since the number of infections is rising rapidly. Nevertheless, she believes that this does not mean that it will spread everywhere with serious illness.

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– The immunity we have is more than just antibodies. It is primarily antibodies that prevent infection, but other parts of the immune system are central to avoiding serious illness.

Spurkland adds that it is reasonably certain that vaccinated people do not have to worry about new varieties.

Important to look at the history of infection

She adds that it is important to look at previous virus cases in different countries.

In Norway, BA. The 5 variant dominated, while in India, where one now sees an increase in BA. 2.75 cases, other variants have dominated.

– It was a delta wave in India over a year ago that made people immune to it. It may have something to do with how BA. 2.75 spreads, because it may make it easier for the variety to spread there.

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Spurkland adds that it is still too early to confirm, but that a place’s previous history of which variants have dominated can affect what the next dominant variant will be.

– What does it take for new measures to be introduced?

– Then a variant must appear that gives us illness and hospitalizations to the extent that in March 2020. It can happen, but then the virus must change considerably compared to the variants we have seen so far.

Spurkland adds that an important point is that a new virus variant will constantly meet an immune population, and that the premises are therefore different now than 2 years ago.

– It is difficult to imagine a variant that will be so serious, but it can not be ruled out, she concludes.

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