Experts have warned that mutations like Delta and Delta Plus can infect around 5% to 10% of fully vaccinated people during the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The third wave might be shorter than the second one, as only a few of them will be infected.

The mutations that were first detected in India might neutralize the protection offered by the existing vaccines in the next wave, expected to come between September and October.

Raja Dhar, Director of pulmonology, CMRI said that variations of the virus are due to the mutations that usually occur during a prolonged pandemic. But these are more potent than the existing ones. The virus changes to survive and even minor alterations could be fatal. The existing vaccines are not designed to protect from them.

Relaxation of restrictions will lead to more travel and transmission. People traveling from one city to another will infect others, called the ‘drift phenomenon’. The virus mutates with every transmission and eventually leads to variants. He further said that the third wave might see severe pneumonia, fibrosis, and cytokine storm.

Bhaskar Narayan Chowdhuri, a microbiologist in Peerless Hospital said that in mutant strains, the S gene is different from the previous strains. Inactivated vaccines such as Covaxin might provide some protection against this strain. However, all vaccines provide some protection and may limit the disease to a mild one.

Delta Plus variant is more transmissible and has an “affinity for lung tissues”. The entry of Delta and Delta Plus can complicate the scena and these might not get cured by medicines, namely remdisivir or steroids. Wider screening facilities for mutants are necessary.

Dhar also pointed out that according to a theory, it is only advisable to vaccinate 60% of the population, as it may prevent mutations. More vaccination resists the virus and can cause mutation to survive, which has started happening.

Source: The Times of India