transformative
With UK being the hub of the new Covid19 strain, called as B117, the world seems to gearing up for another phase of lockdowns, and strict precautionary measures for the well-being of the people.
As per World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, who recently spoke to the international press said that the reproduction rate, also known as an infected person’s ability to spread the virus, of the new Covid-19 variant has increased from 1.1 to 1.5. WHO officials have stressed that people can protect themselves against this new strain by following the usual safety protocols like wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing.
How Serious or Deadly the new Strain is
As per studies and experts it is not the first new variant of the pandemic virus to emerge, but is said to be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the previously dominant strain, especially in the UK. It has 23 mutations in its genetic code – a relatively high number of changes – and some of these are affecting its ability to spread. The new strain has a change to its spike proteins – the regions of its outer shell that dock on our cells and infect them. The change makes it a much more efficient predator. It passes quickly from cell to cell in our bodies, copying itself at a furious pace.
