Covid-19 virus will stay with us for next 10 years: BioNTech CEO

The mutated coronavirus strain that’s been spreading in the UK is 56% more transmissible than other strains, according to the study by the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases.

By: Satata Karmakar | | Published: December 26, 2020 4:33 pm

'The Covid-19 virus will stay with us for the next 10 years'

As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic amid the origin of newer and potentially lethal strains, BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin has said that the deadly virus is going to stay with us for the next decade at least. Also Read - Arthritis drug cannot lower the risk of death in severe COVID-19 patients: Study

In a virtual press conference this week, Sahin spoke about the potential virus deadline when asked when life could return to normal. Also Read - You are at higher risk to catch Coronavirus in closed spaces. Here’s how

“We need a new definition of normal. The virus will stay with us for the next 10 years,” he told media persons. Also Read - Patients with inactive cancer at high risk of severe COVID-19 infection; Study suggests

BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine Pfizer

BioNTech’s vaccine, developed with the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, has been authorised for use in more than 45 countries, including Britain and the US.

Sahin also said that the vaccine can be adjusted for the new UK variant in about six weeks.

“In principle, the beauty of the messenger technology is that we can directly start to engineer a vaccine which completely mimics this new mutation – we could be able to provide a new vaccine technically within six weeks,” he was quoted as saying in media reports.

New Covid-19 variant would not impact the efficacy of the vaccine

Sahin said he was confident that the new variant of the Covid-19 strain in the UK would not impact the efficacy of the vaccine.

The new strain of Covid is causing worry all around the world including in India, and it remains to be seen what effect it could have.

After the discovery of a second new variant of the novel coronavirus in Britain, the UK has reported the highest number of Covid-19 fatalities this week, since late April.

The origin of the new Covid-19 variant

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the second new variant was reportedly related to travellers from South Africa, and two cases have been reported so far.

“This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK,” he said this week.

On December 19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the discovery of a first mutant Covid-19 strain which is said to be about 70 per cent more transmissible.

As a result, Johnson imposed Tier Four restrictions om London and other parts of England.

New Covid-19 Strain – What Do We Know So Far!

The mutated coronavirus strain that’s been spreading in the UK is 56% more transmissible than other strains, according to the study by the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The variant was identified in genomic surveillance by COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK), a consortium that analyses genome sequencing data from the UK. COG-UK is the largest contributor to the global Covid-19 database GISAID.

The variant is the result of multiple mutations in the spike protein of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, as well as mutations in other genomic regions of the RNA virus. Preliminary analysis suggests that it is more transmissible than previously circulating variants. COG-UK identified one of these mutations as “N501Y”, in an area of the spike protein that binds to a key protein in the human cell, the ACE2 receptor. This was an indication that the alterations may, theoretically, result in the virus becoming more infectious.

Symptoms Of The New Virus Variant

Besides the three most common symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, dry cough and loss of sense of smell and taste, 7 other symptoms have been associated with the new strain of coronavirus. Following are the signs you should watch out for.

– Fatigue

– Loss of appetite

– Headache

– Diarrhoea

– Mental confusion

– Muscle pains

(With inputs from IANS)

Published : December 26, 2020 4:33 pm

Read Disclaimer