JAKARTA – The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said it was necessary to increase monitoring or monitoring of the mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 with whole genome sequencing (WGS). This is carried out as an appropriate and fast health intervention in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“WGS still has to be carried out intensively,” said the Head of the Laboratory of Applied Genetic Engineering and Design Protein LIPI doctor Wien Kusharyoto in Jakarta, Friday (26/3).
He explained that monitoring for virus mutations can be done by carrying out comprehensive genome sequencing (WGS). It is hoped that WGS can be carried out throughout Indonesia. So that you can get an overview and distribution of the virus that has hit each province. Including finding the possibility of new variants due to mutations.
It was stated that more and more people were infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Including the variants that later emerged, the higher the likelihood of the virus replicating in human cells which could potentially increase the likelihood of new variants emerging.
According to him, the emergence of variants with mutations in the Receptor Binding Motifs (RBM) primarily needs to be monitored. Because it has the potential to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines and the emergence of escape mutants that can escape neutralization by antibodies. Like the variant with the E484K mutation.
So far, both the N439K and N501Y mutations in the B117 variant from the UK have had only minor impact on the effectiveness of the vaccine. The E484K mutation occurs in variants from South Africa and Brazil.
With the emergence of new variants, it is necessary to anticipate. One way is to make modifications to the vaccine being developed which needs to be adjusted according to the mutations that appear.
“Vaccine modification can be started by mutating the gene encoding the spike protein. When referring to the South African variant, it is sufficient to carry out mutations at the DNA level, which causes changes in the amino acids N501Y, E484K and K417N, “he concluded. (rh / fin)
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