Another Pandemic on its way? Vaccine creator points towards a more lethal threat
In Delhi, a man in his 30s was found to be infected with the new variant. On Monday, two more cases were found in Maharashtra. With this 23 cases of this new variant are detected in India.
The COVID-19 Pandemic is not over yet and there awaits for the world another lethal one with its own uncertainties and speculations. The novel coronavirus has already killed 5.6 million people around the world and has left us with a stumbled life-socially and economically.
The co-creator of AstraZenecal Vaccine, Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert, while delivering the 44th Richard Dimbleby lecture, due to be broadcast on the BBC on Monday, said that despite the nature of a two year-old pandemic that has effectively destroyed dreams and lives, the next one might be more contagious and gruesome. "The truth is, the next one could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more lethal, or both." The professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford predicted.
The esteemed professor, along with her team, developed a Covid vaccine last year that is now used in 170 countries. She further implicated towards willpower which must not be lost and the resilience must not break at any cost. In these trying times, we must not squander away our individual experiences of the pandemic so that the upcoming pandemic fails to deter us from dreaming and living, the expert confirmed.
Gilbert said that the new Omicron variant's spike protein contained mutations known to increase transmissibility of the virus." There are additional changes that may mean antibodies induced by the vaccines, or by infection with other variants, may be less effective at preventing infection with Omicron," Gilbert said. She further added, "Until we know more, we should be cautious, and take steps to slow down the spread of this new variant."
The first two cases of Omicron variant in India were reported Karnataka, followed by one in Jamnagar (Gujarat) and another in Maharashtra. Later on Sunday, seven cases were reported in Maharashtra's Pune district, of which six belonged to the same family. In Jaipur, nine cases of the Omicron variant were confirmed - all of whom had attended the same wedding. In Delhi, a man in his 30s was found to be infected with the new variant. On Monday, two more cases were found in Maharashtra. With this 23 cases of this new variant are detected in India.
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