The Covid-19 epidemic continues to claim victims around the world, especially in India, which is suffering the brunt of it. Number of cases which is struggling to decrease, oxygen shortage, the country is struggling to cope with this wave of coronavirus. The Indian variant is one of the culprits in the outbreak in India. While other states fear a resurgence of the epidemic with the Indian variant, Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist of the World Health Organization, warns that it is more transmissible, but also probably more resistant to vaccination .
The variant discovered in India
The B.1.617 variant or commonly referred to as the Indian variant was identified during the month of October in India. Then, it was detected in several countries, in particular in the United Kingdom, in America, but also in Singapore. A few cases have also been reported in France, especially in the Bouches-du-Rhône. The Indian variant raises some concerns. And for good reason, according to Soumya Swaminathan, who spoke with AFP, the latter ” has mutations that increase transmissions, and which can also potentially make it resistant to antibodies that have developed through vaccination or natural contamination “.
Why is this worrying?
The Indian variant alone cannot be held responsible for this epidemic outbreak in India. Barrier measures may have been somewhat forgotten during large gatherings that have taken place recently. In addition, vaccination seems to be done more slowly, in this country which is however the world giant in the production of vaccines. Indeed, 2% of the population, out of 1.3 billion inhabitants, received the two doses necessary to be protected. In France, on May 10, more than 11% of the population, out of 67 million inhabitants, has a complete vaccination schedule. The risk for India, but also for other countries, is that the more the epidemic grows, the greater the risk of more dangerous variants appearing. “ The more the virus replicates, spreads and is transmitted, the greater the risk of mutations and adaptation ”Increases, explained the scientist of the WHO. His fear is also at the level of the resistance of new strains to currently available vaccines, in particular “ variants that accumulate a large number of mutations “.
In addition, it could become ” a problem for the whole world “. The Indian variant is, according to the researcher, more contagious and possesses capacities of resistance to vaccines. This is why it could be classified by the WHO in the list of variants being considered as more dangerous than the original virus.
