PETALING JAYA: A former deputy health minister has warned that the coming general election (GE15) could see a new, immune evasive Covid-19 subvariant spread faster, with a virologist not ruling out that it “may already be” in the country.
Dr Lee Boon Chye said GE15 will trigger a faster infection of the Omicron XBB subvariant and called on the health ministry to monitor the number of severe infection cases that require hospitalisation, admissions into ICUs, as well as deaths.
Virologist Kumitaa Theva Das of Universiti Sains Malaysia said it is “entirely possible” that the XBB subvariant may have entered the country given its close proximity and high mobility of people with neighbouring countries.
“As we have decreased surveillance, we may not be able to detect new variants as quickly, especially since the symptoms are similar to past subvariants,” she told FMT. “So, it is important to get tested as soon as possible if one notices any symptoms.”
She also said a recent study from China found the subvariant to be the most immune-evading of all the variants, and explained that XBB, which is a combination of two Omicron variants – BA.2.75 and BJ.1 – has at least seven new mutations along the spike protein.
“This makes it harder for our immune system to recognise the subvariant, and thus more likely to evade our antibodies and infect our cells,” she said.
“The longer a virus is in circulation, the more mutations are accumulated, and the better it gets at evading our immune system.
“However, this does not mean it causes severe symptoms or death; there has not been any evidence to indicate this so far.”
She also said Singapore showed 30% reduced hospitalisations despite the surge in cases.
Kumitaa said those who had been infected with the earlier Covid strains such as the Alpha, Beta or Delta have a higher chance of reinfection, citing data from Singapore where about 17% of new cases are reinfections.
Others who are more susceptible to the subvariant are those who have not been previously infected by Covid-19, and those who had their last vaccine shot more than a year ago.
Lee echoed Kumitaa’s explanation that the XBB subvarient can evade immunity by antibodies, and the presence of Covid antibodies from prior exposure or from vaccination may not give protection from the subvariant’s infection.
He said even monoclonal antibodies used to treat Covid-19 are also ineffective.
However, he pointed out that human immunity has another “armament” against the subvariant, which is cell-mediated immunity.
“Prior infection or immunisation strengthens this other ‘arm of immunity’ such as cell-mediated immunity,” he told FMT. “This may explain why in Singapore and the US, the number of deaths remains relatively low even though new cases are increasing.
“Hence, we do expect more and more people to get infected and, hopefully, most likely without an increase in severe cases or mortality.”
Yesterday, Thailand recorded its first two cases of infection of the XBB subvarient, involving a local woman and a foreign woman who travelled from Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s health ministry also reported that the XBB is now the predominant subvariant in the city-state, accounting for 54% of local cases from Oct 3 to 9.
The subvariant was first detected in August in India and has since been detected in more than 17 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Denmark, Japan and the US.
FMT has reached out to the health ministry for comments. - FMT
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