THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES

 

As the world enters into the dawn of the coming year, the shadows of the previous pandemic descend upon mankind. This time it has a new face, a new name, and a new genetic code which make it stronger, more durable, and efficient.

While the United Kingdom celebrates the success of the new Covid vaccine Pfizer, which is deemed to be much more combative than its precursors; the country is now in the grip of fear and turmoil at the on-break of the new strain of coronavirus. The mutated covid-19 virus is said to spread up to 70% faster. It is also claimed to have changed the way it enters the cell in our bodies, which means the virus has found alternative ways to enter human cells than only air and physical contact. The power and resistance of the mutated covid-19 leave those with stronger immune systems at risk.

 

The new variant of coronavirus named “B.1.1.7” includes a genetic mutation in the “spike” protein that could be the cause of the immediate and easy spread of the virus amongst people. This means the variant that’s been identified in the south-east of England has 17 mutations that affect the shape of the virus, including the spike protein that gives the coronavirus family their name. While nothing further has been confirmed, scientists have suggested that this new strain could be the reason behind the faster spread of the virus.

According to health experts, viruses can mutate even a few times a month. And as they mutate, sometimes a very rare situation happens, i.e., when the genetic code of the virus changes strongly enough for it to become even more powerful. This explains why we have not yet been able to understand the virus and its pattern of infecting so many people at such an alarming rate. While we develop a vaccine for the current form, it undergoes a genetic mutation and takes up a completely new form. By happening of this, all those efforts spent in making the vaccine now goes in vain. Scientists need to restart from ground zero and make new studies related to the new variant.

Coronavirus: 7 symptoms of the new COVID strain, as per reports

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

The United Kingdoms had announced earlier this week the strictest lockdown and millions must cancel their Christmas plans and stay home.

“It is with a heavy heart. I must tell you, we cannot continue with the Christmas as planned,” said the president of the UK, Boris Johnson. All the flights to and from the UK have been canceled in the following days. Several European countries have shut their borders to Britain due to the concerns over the new rapidly spreading corona strain.

Now the biggest question is- What if the virus was just warming up?

In the past few months, people have become careless regarding the threats imposed by the coronavirus. Although countries like India, Poland, and China have been reporting a steady steep in the rise of Covid cases yet people are being way too reluctant to take any precautions while they move out of their houses. Without any protection, they are vulnerable to the viral infection and become a potential vector of the virus and forward it to others. It will not take time for the new strain to make its way to developing countries with overloaded hospitals and very soon our loved ones will be in danger. We need to remember how terrific the situations were at the early onset of quarantine when the coronavirus was new to the whole scientific era. It would be devastating to go for another lockdown at such bleak times of commercial crisis. There could be a financial crisis, people would lose their jobs and a huge demand for the supply of daily necessities. Inflation would kill the lower strata of society.

2020 will be known, in history, as the year when Covid was only warming up. We would long for those times when we had the opportunity to stop the virus from spreading, and wish for the situation to get to normal as we did at the first phase of lockdown.