Home / News / Dr. Omar Al Hammadi explains.. What does the mutation of viruses mean?

Dr. Omar Al Hammadi explains.. What does the mutation of viruses mean?

Dr. Omar Al Hammadi, the official spokesman of the UAE government media briefing:

As news is being circulated about the emergence of a new mutation of Coronavirus and the inquiries about the possibility of a new type of outbreak, we would like to clarify some points:

• Viruses are among the most rapidly evolving organisms, which makes them variant and constantly changing. The faster the reproduction process of the virus, the greater the chance of mutations.

• As in the common cold, we sometimes get repeated infections due to viruses’ mutation in a deceptive way.

• A virus mutation simply means a variation in the virus’s genes during the replication process, and it is passed on to the new generation of the virus, and these mutations take 3 different forms:

• Neutral mutations that have no effect, occurs with the majority of mutations in general, and they have occurred in Coronavirus in particular.

• Mutations that increase the strength of the virus, its spread, or cause serious complications. This type of mutation is rare.

• Mutations that weaken the virus and lead to its retreat. This is also not a common type of mutation and it occurred in the SARS virus.

• Since last March until now, researchers have detected mutations that have changed the genetic structure of the virus slightly and ineffectively. Some scientists have raised concerns about the effect of the mutations on the structure of the virus’s outer surface, which may facilitate the virus’s entry into the human cell.

• Some researchers have expressed their concerns that some new mutations have helped a new strain of the Coronavirus spread faster in some regions of the world. We want to stress that this is still being studied and is closely monitored by scientists and competent authorities. A conclusive conclusion has not been reached so far.

• Clinical trials have not indicated the ability of any of these mutations to thwart the vaccine response. Researchers have recorded that before the emergence of the new strain, human immunity has effectively fought the mutated versions of the original virus. We hope to prove the same in the ongoing research.

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