Not Just Delta, Beware of These New Variants of COVID-19 And Their Symptoms

These New Variants of COVID-19 Are Posing Global Threat Coronavirus is here to stay and thus it is important to know which variants are doing the round globally and what are the various symptoms of these new strains. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had issued a guideline for naming the various variants of the deadly virus — using Greek alphabet to easily track the new mutations rising globally. So far, Delta variant of COVID-19 has been named as one of the most dominant strain of the virus, however, there are some new mutations of the virus which has been reported from various countries. Let’s have a look at them.Delta Is Still ‘Dominant Strain’ The Delta COVID-19 variant was first detected in India in December 2020. The variant was responsible for the ferocious second wave of coronavirus which ravaged the country in early 2021. The variant is currently the most dominant strain worldwide and also remains the most worrisome strain of the COVID virus. Earlier the WHO had warned that the Delta is a variant of concern, which means it is capable of increasing transmissibility, causing more severe disease. Studies have also shown that the strain is also capable of evading the vaccine antibody shield.C.1.2 Variant of COVID-19 C.1.2 variant was first detected in May 2021 in South Africa when the country was experiencing the third wave. The newly detected variant has been listed as a variant of concern by the experts due to its ability to infect the vaccinated individuals as well. According to the WHO, the C.1.2 variant of coronavirus is also associated with increased transmissibility and reduced neutralisation sensitivity.Delta Plus Delta variant which was first seen in India has now mutated to form another deadly variant — Delta Plus. So far India has registered 30 plus cases of this variant from various corners of the country. In a statement the WHO had stated that though there are chances that more cases of the Delta Plus variant can come from India, it still doesn’t pose any severe threat as compared it its parent strain — Delta.Mu Variant Another highly infectious strain of COVID-19 that has come to light recently is the ‘Mu’ COVID-19 variant. This new variant is scientifically known as B.1.621, which was first detected in Columbia in January 2021, at the time when India was battling the deadly second wave of COVID-19. According to the WHO, the global prevalence of this strain is below 0.1%. However, in Columbia, it is around 39%. Primary reports have suggested that the strain has enough capability to evade the vaccine shield, however, it is yet to be confirmed with further studies.Lambda COVID Variant Deadlier than Delta, the Lambda variant of COVID-19 was found to be one of the highly transmissible variants of the virus. According to the reports, this new strain has been detected in almost 30 countries. In a press conference, the WHO had warned that the Lambda variant is much more infectious than the Delta variant and has the potential to infect individuals in a much serious way.Symptoms You Should Never Ignore The COVID-19 virus mainly affects the respiratory organs of the body, leading to some serious/ severe side effects and symptoms. With rapidly increasing cases of infection, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of the virus attack. Some of the symptoms that you should never ignore are — diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal pain, loss of smell and taste, pink eyes, brain fog, persistent cough, fever, unexplained fatigue, headache, body pain, or muscle cramps, etc.Alpha Variant Alpha variant of the B.1.1.7 was first identified in the United Kingdom. Experts have warned that this variant can spread much faster than other variants of coronavirus and has the potential to cause more people to get sicker and to die. According to the reports, this new variant of COVID-19 has already spread to 50 countries worldwide.Can Vaccines Protect You From These New Variants? Vaccines are the only tool to ward off the complexities of the deadly coronavirus. However, with the rising number of variants worldwide, experts have cautioned that the vaccine will not protect an individual from getting infected but will effectively reduce down the severity of the infection and risk of hospitalisation. So, get vaccinated as early as possible to avert the severe complications of the COVID-19 infection.How To Stay Safe From These New Variants? It is very important to know that following appropriate COVID behaviour is necessary to stay safe from the infection. Some of these include — wear your masks properly (use double masking when going out), follow social distancing, and keep your hands clean. Another most important tip to stay safe is by getting vaccinated.