Since the summer, one question has hovered over a pandemic-weary world like a dark cloud: Can Sars-CoV-2 get any worse than the Delta variant? A briefing by South African scientists on Thursday suggests the answer is what was feared: Yes. A new variant first seen on November 12 and seemingly tearing through at least one South African province, Guateng could turn out to be more transmissible and resistant than Delta, which triggered devastating new waves almost everywhere in the world.
Since the summer, one question has hovered over a pandemic-weary world like a dark cloud: Can Sars-CoV-2 get any worse than the Delta variant? A briefing by South African scientists on Thursday suggests the answer is what was feared: Yes. A new variant first seen on November 12 and seemingly tearing through at least one South African province, Guateng could turn out to be more transmissible and resistant than Delta, which triggered devastating new waves almost everywhere in the world. Its genomic sequence has revealed what may be the largest constellation of mutations, prompting some scientists to describe it as “horrific”. In terms of evolutionary strides, the B.1.1.529 has vaulted farther from the version seen in Wuhan than any other variant before.
It is still early days, but there is a growing consensus among the scientific community that the variant is bad news. The World Health Organization called an emergency meeting, and a growing number of nations began to announce travels bans on people who have been in affected nations — South Africa, Botswana, and Malawi. India too has stepped up vigil at airports, and the Union health ministry has asked states to step up sequencing. The script is familiar — the immediate effort will be to throttle the avenues for the variant to enter new regions, at least until more is known about two vital characteristics: disease severity and resistance to antibodies. If the new variant is considerably different from the version seen first In Wuhan, it could end up having a significant impact on vaccines that were designed on the basis of the ancestral virus.
As the world waits for the scientific evidence on how this variant could change the fight to defeat the pandemic, some preparations now need to begin, especially for a populous country like India. First, the lag in second dose coverage needs to be viewed more seriously. Full vaccination is vital for protection, and India now has the stocks to ensure a rapid uptake of second shots. If the gap between doses is a hurdle, it must now be brought down. Second, election and wedding seasons are around the corner — these will complicate the will for people and leaders to take hard decisions pre-emptively. Hence, it is important to reignite conversations about the pandemic. Third, authorities across the country need to take stock of medical supplies and prepare for a possible surge. The pandemic has repeatedly demonstrated the need to err on the side of alarm — that lesson must not be forgotten.
One Subscription.
Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.
Archives
HT App & Website