Coronavirus, the biggest threat to mankind presently, has managed to strike once again, and this time with much more vigour. It is that time of the year when one expects to hear bells ringing and they are indeed ringing, but the sad part is that they are not the Christmas bells; this time it is the alarm bells that are ringing. UK has reported a new strain of the coronavirus which is much more infectious and is 70% more transmissible than the prevailing one. There are both good news and bad news to it. The good news is that the new strain is still not found to be deadlier than the existing one, the bad news, however, is that the new mutation has made changes to the virus’ spike protein, the target of the vaccines. Thus it is no wonder that viruses are the most successful inhabitants of this planet. This has created fear among the scientists that it may render the vaccines ineffective and result in a process called “vaccine escape”.
The year 2020 has been a catastrophic one for humanity and has affected all, both at the personal and professional levels. We have shown great resilience by rethinking the way we carry our lives and modifying many aspects of it. No one could have imagined a year ago that a virus would wreak havoc of this magnitude in a world that is so scientifically advanced. And when we were just about to celebrate our victory, the virus came up with an ingenuous plan to defeat us again. The new variant is unusually highly mutated and is likely to have developed in a patient with a weakened immune system who couldn’t beat the virus. There are around 23 genetic changes in the new virus genome with some centered on the virus’ capability to lock onto human cells and infect them. Almost two-third of the infected cases in UK in December are of the new virus. The three main cautious factors of the new virus are:
- It is rapidly replacing the earlier version of the virus
- The mutations are of the genes that are of interest while developing the vaccines
- It has been shown to have higher infecting capability
The most worrying part is the pair of alterations in the viral genetic code that makes it less vulnerable to the antibodies. However, the scientists are hopeful that the vaccines so far developed will be effective against the virus. But, if the virus mutates to the extent that it is capable of dodging the full effect of the vaccine, then the phenomenon of “vaccine escape” can happen and this will be the most concerning element. The hopes of the people around the world to celebrate this New Year as the “Vaccine New Year” will be shattered. The year of 2021 will become a repetition of 2020 with lockdowns, travel restrictions, masks and sanitizers again becoming an integral part of our normal lives. However, this is 2020 and people have gotten used to expecting the unexpected.
The virus has proved to be a tricky one for the entire scientific community. Only a week is left for the year 2020 to end, the year that was marred by some of the worst scenes and experiences throughout the world caused by this deadly virus. But the fact is that still a lot is yet to be learnt about the virus. It is throwing surprises from time to time and exhibiting a myriad of symptoms which highly differ among the patients. But at the same time the virus has led to some unexpected behaviour among us. Scientists of rival companies have come together to find a solution to beat the virus but in vain. A world that has been dominated by capitalism and materialism has suddenly awakened to the importance of relationships and basic principles of humanity. The fact that we are at the mercy of Mother Nature was never so visible as today. The virus opened the blindfold that had kept the entire human race from seeing the reality. But humans have been a resilient species that has managed to escape the wraths of Nature. The same is true with the current pandemic. The complacency that had crept in is being quickly replaced with sanity. As John Finley has rightly stated, “Maturity is the capacity to endure certainty”. We have to collectively exhibit maturity to face the uncertain times that lie ahead. The world has to fight unitedly against the virus and whatever new it has to offer. Let us all make a resolve to fight the uncertainties that the future hold for us and strive to make a better and brighter world. As India has rightly preached, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” which means that the whole world is a family, the time has come to adopt it which has formed a part of sayings of the great gurus that has walked the land of rich history, the land that has given Ayurveda and Yoga to the world, and the land that has celebrated inclusion and diversity since ages.
