What’s a viral variant?

The new species of a virus, which emerges as a result of very small changes in its genetic code, are called viral variants. During the epidemic, a large number of genetic mutations and as a result, a large number of viral variants were formed. Among them, those that spread more easily become the dominant type of the epidemic, while others disappear.

Why are new variants causing anxiety?

In the initial data obtained in the studies, there is no evidence that new variants make the disease more severe than previous coronaviruses. However, even if they do not increase the severity of the disease, it becomes inevitable that the number of cases and thus the number of deaths increases with the increase in the transmission characteristics. The data also underscores the more important and worrying fact that the amount of virus in the human body reaches higher amounts in people infected with the new variant. The higher a person’s viral load, the greater their transmission capacity.

How do new variants emerge?

Like the viruses that cause other diseases, the corona virus spreads by penetrating into human cells and replicating itself in them, spreading to the body and then infecting other people.

This is what it means to copy oneself;

It means copying the genetic code that determines how different particles of the virus come together. However, this copy does not always correspond to the original. Minor errors in copying cause different cells to emerge. That means new variant viruses. Some viruses are copied based on DNA and some viruses are copied based on RNA. Coronaviruses are copied by RNA Replication. Unlike DNA copying, RNA molecules do not have a “correction” feature that corrects errors in the copies. That’s why more variant viruses are developing. Almost all of the detected viral variants have spike spikes that help the virus enter the cell. In this sense, it is likely that the properties of adhesion to the cell wall are increased. Let’s get to the crucial question at the end of so much scientific knowledge.

Are new variants resistant to developed vaccines?

Research on vaccines shows, at least for now, that vaccines are effective against these variants. Vaccines are known to create a general immune response and target spikes of the virus. Yes, as a result, variant viruses increase the risk of transmission due to excessive reproduction, and with the increase in viral load, it is quite possible that more people will get sick. However, it is still possible to cope with the virus by adapting to the mask-distance and hygiene use that we have. In addition to these three items, I will add the amount of time spent together. The less time we spend in close proximity, the less our exposure to contamination.

Have a healthy day.

GAMA Holding A.Ş.

Workplace Physician

Dr. Ömür Hiçdönmez