Editorial comment 2021 is foreshadowing a major change in our daily lives suffering from the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). In February, the Corona 19 vaccination will begin from those who are recommended for preferential vaccination, such as medical personnel and the elderly in nursing homes. The vaccine is attracting attention as a’game changer’ that will change the pandemic of Corona 19. As the government has declared, attention is focused on whether the’maskless Chuseok’ is possible.
| Corona 19 virus model co-produced by Nexus Science Communication and Trinity College. © Reuters = News 1 |
As the end of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) virus is delayed, it is believed that vaccines and treatments that have already been developed may become increasingly useless due to repeated occurrences of variants. Experts are also convinced that even if the Corona 19 virus is extinct, another new virus can become prevalent at any time.
This is because viruses have genetic material that is susceptible to mutations, unlike humans. This is why viruses and humans are always in the position of spear and shield. Accordingly, it is pointed out that a platform for developing vaccines and treatments that can respond immediately even if mutation occurs at any time should be created.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 4th, there are a total of 10 cases of COVID-19 mutant virus from the UK and South Africa that were confirmed domestically as of 0 o’clock on the 2nd. It is known that the spread of the mutant virus from the UK is 1.7 times higher than that of the existing virus. The quarantine authorities analyzed that the mutant virus originating in South Africa is also more powerful. However, there is no research result on whether the lethality is stronger than the existing virus.
In fact, this mutation has been steadily occurring since the first time the Corona 19 virus was first known around the world at the beginning of last year. In Korea, a number of S·V groups (types) were found until April of last year, but viruses belonging to the GH group have been mainly detected since May. Although they are all the same Corona 19 virus, there are several branches with different genotypes.
This time, another variation took place in England and South Africa. The British mutant virus belongs to the GR group, but the mutation occurred in more detail. Viruses originating in South Africa are the GH group leading the domestic epidemic, but similarly, sequence mutations occurred in detail.
Fortunately, there have been no official cases of the corona 19 virus outbreak that increase the fatality rate yet. According to evolutionary theory, the primary purpose of viruses is to spread to new hosts rather than to increase their fatality. However, as mutation cases continue to appear, the anxiety inevitably continues to increase due to the nature of the Corona 19 gene that does not know where it will bounce.
Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious medicine at Kodae Guro Hospital (former head of the MERS immediate response task force (dedicated organization)), said, “Because viruses can do everything, there is a possibility of a virus that increases the fatality rate.”
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| Citizens who visited the temporary screening test center for novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) prepared in front of Seoul Station on the 2nd are waiting in a long line to be tested. 2021.1.2/News1 © News1 Reporter Park Ji-hye |
In fact, the severity of the 2009 H1N1 influenza (flu) virus pandemic is more relevant. It is the same flu virus, but its fatality rate has increased sharply than before. This is because a serious mutation has occurred. At that time, about 200,000 people died worldwide. However, the flu has become an infectious disease that can be managed now, with the treatment’Tamiflu’ and vaccines on the market.
The reason for viral mutation is that the genetic material is’RNA’ made up of a single strand. The cause of this RNA problem is that it has less protective performance than human genetic material DNA, which is not readily mutated.
Since DNA is a double-stranded helix, even if there is a mutation in the genetic information of one strand, it can be recovered through the normal genetic information of the other strand. However, if the single-stranded RNA mutates, that is enough. When proteins are synthesized from the mutated RNA and even the virus body is made, a new variant is eventually born. In this case, a virus with a higher fatality rate may appear. Even if vaccines and treatments were developed with particular difficulty, the possibility of not being effective against the new virus increases.
However, it is said that the corona 19 virus has a little more mutation recovery effect than the flu virus. Nevertheless, as long as the genetic material is RNA, it is difficult to be relieved.
In particular, antigenic drift, which is relatively less mutated, can be expected to be effective with existing vaccines and treatments. However, if there is an antigenic shift, which is the level of restarting development, humanity will face another crisis.
Therefore, it is constantly being pointed out that a new drug development platform that can prevent or treat virus mutations should be established at any time.
Fortunately, the global bio industry has been making efforts to overcome this. According to the Reuters news agency on the 1st, Ugur Sahin, CEO of Bioentech, Germany, who developed the Corona 19 vaccine together with the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, said, “If the vaccine does not work with the mutant virus, you can get the vaccine as needed within 6 weeks. “It will be possible to fix it.”
An official in the domestic bio industry said, “Because there is a large view that infectious diseases are one-off, there may be a side that has neglected the development of high-cost treatments and vaccines.” “With Corona 19, many companies have started research and development, It is most important to develop the development ability to cope with mutations in the future.”
Domestic vaccines are also undergoing clinical trials with the aim of completing development at the end of this year. To curb the spread of Corona 19 this year, the government plans to start vaccinating various overseas vaccinations starting in February, starting with the AstraZeneca vaccine, but there is great interest in the domestic vaccine that will be developed later. As the possibility of Corona 19 becoming a pandemic infectious disease every year like the flu is predicted, the demand for domestic vaccines that are cheaper and easier to produce may increase. This is why development should be completed even if it is late.
Currently, for domestic vaccines, SK Bioscience is currently in phase 1 and phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for vaccine materials’NBP2001 (development method: protein recombination)’ and’GBP510 (gene recombination)’, or will be implemented soon this year. Aiming to complete horse development. Among them,’GBP510′ received the spotlight early as it received 10 million dollars in research and development for phase 1 and 2 clinical trials from CEPI (Infectious Disease Prevention and Innovation Association), an international private organization.
In addition, Genexine, the International Vaccine Research Institute, and Jinwon Life Sciences are conducting phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for DNA vaccines, respectively, and Celed is conducting phases 1 and 2 clinical trials for viral vector vaccines.
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