AFTER the first Covid-19 wave subsided, most thought that infections were no longer a public threat. There was a lapse in following the relevant SOPs. The second wave, as such, has the potential to be more troublesome than the first.

One of the questions regarding the impact of the second wave is: whether there is a ‘mutated’, or more virulent, virus. This can only be answered using genomics to study the makeup of the virus itself. Through the analysis of nucleic acids, one can identify genetic relationships between viruses from different individuals.

A mutation is a genetic change from a known original type, and, importantly, not all mutations have a medical consequence. Increasing knowledge about the virus can help us track it. Since the start of the pandemic, thousands of strains have been studied worldwide. Seven different virus families have been identified, including the GH family that was also identified by a local laboratory and it is still prevalent.

The verdict is still out whether there is any correlation between the strains and the severity of Covid-19. Therefore, it will be incorrect to assume that the current increase in Covid-19-associated deaths in Pakistan is linked to the GH lineage.

It is more likely that the increase in infections across all age groups, including the elderly, high-risk groups and people with compromised health conditions, has led to an increase in illness and hospitalisations from Covid-19.

Prof Zahra Hasan
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2020