05:45 PM
During these three years, the coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, in China, has spread around the world and has left 769 million cases worldwide until August 8 of this year, according to figures compiled by the portal. of German statistics Statista.
This type of virus constantly evolves as changes occur in the genetic code (caused by genetic mutations or viral recombination), hence the result of the variants and subvariants that have been reported over the course of these three years.
One of the most persistent has been the Ómicron variant, known for its high transmissibility and its persistence in the environment, since it is the only one that continues to infect and trigger new subvariants, according to Francisco Javier Díaz, a virologist and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the u of a
Precisely, of the Omicron variant, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the arrival of two new subvariants, which are EG.5., also known as “Eris” and F1.5.1, also called “Fornax”.
According to the CDC, the Eris subvariant has been found in about 17% of new coronavirus cases in the United States and Fornax in 9% of samples. In fact, they are calling again for vaccination in that country, according to The New York Times.
The Fornax sublineage is present in more than 50 countries, including Colombia. Its presence was also registered in Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico and the United States.
“The Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta variants have disappeared. The Omicron variant and its derivatives have replaced the others due to their efficient transmission. The new Eris subvariant is currently under observation to classify it as a variant of concern or interest in the coming weeks,” explained the virologist.
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According to Héctor Serrano, a researcher at the Colombian Institute of Tropical Medicine (Icmt) of the CES University, these subvariants are generated because mutations accumulate in the virus in a protein known as “S” or “spicular”, which favors the interaction of the virus with human cells and causes more infections.
“Those mutations can be compared to a football team. The more good players you have, the more likely you are to win the match. Here it would be the more mutations are created, there will be a greater possibility of infecting humans”, explained the researcher.
For now, Serrano refers the same symptoms to the previous variants of the coronavirus, such as sore throat, headache, fever, general malaise and loss of smell.
Given these virus mutations, specialists warn that the new subvariants are very different from the original coronavirus virus that emerged in Wuhan. For example, Omicron is highly transmissible but not as dangerous as the first reported coronavirus.
This difference also affects the immune response (resistance) that was given in the vaccination against covid-19 during these three years. The specialists consulted explained that the protection provided by the current vaccination scheme is low.
“These new subvariants can more easily escape the immune response of the immune system that we have acquired through vaccines or with natural infection. They are very different from the previous strains”, added Héctor Serrano.
Is covid-19 already “another flu”?
At this time, it is likely that people with symptoms related to covid-19 such as cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, general malaise, fever and other symptoms, will not be as alarmed as two or three years ago. This is because they assume that if it is coronavirus, this is already “one more flu.” How true is it?
For the virologist Francisco Javier Díaz, it is a fact that the danger of the virus has decreased and that contracting it is now less risky than before.
“Omicron lost the ability to invade deep into the lung, which means that the virus does not reach the lower part of the lungs. This makes it highly transmissible but not very virulent or serious. Those who should take the most precautions are those with basic risks such as older adults, transplant recipients, with diseases such as AIDS or cancer, or with lung infections,” explained the virologist.
Researcher Serrano added that as with covid-19, people must take care of other viral infections. According to the WHO, each year seasonal flu causes between 3 to 5 million serious cases and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths, mainly in people over 65 years of age.
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The active variant Omicron, according to the WHO, compared to other infections with the Delta variant, for example, presents a lower risk of severity, hospitalization or death. The virologist Díaz assured that there has obviously been a decrease in the lethality of the virus.
“We have been using Ómicron for a year and a half and although the subvariants continue, none of them seems to recover the aggressiveness of the original strain. For now the news is still good. The virus is, but attenuated, and vaccination with the bivalent vaccine is an essential and key resource to continue fighting the coronavirus”, concluded the virologist.
The protection of current vaccines has decreased, and now?
Given the low protection provided by current vaccines, since July 10 the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (Invima) approved the application of bivalent vaccines against covid-19, which are the ones that provide protection against covid-19. 19 and the Omicron variant.
The vaccination scheme is a single dose and must be at least 12 months after the last application. The virologist Díaz emphasizes that this vaccine is mainly for people with basic risks.
The protection measures continue to be the same: hand washing and the use of masks in health centers or if you have a viral infection to avoid infecting others. Also remember to take care of other conditions such as allergies at this time of the El Niño Phenomenon.
The arrival of bivalent vaccines in the country has been celebrated by the health sector, as they are allies to continue caring for the most vulnerable and, furthermore, an opportunity to update the vaccination scheme.
2023-08-14 19:49:57
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