Highlights
- An Indian-origin British scientist has warned about the next variant of the corona virus.
- Professor Ravindra Gupta said Omicron being less aggressive is good news for now
- Indian-origin scientist says Omicron variant is the result of an ‘evolutionary mistake’
An Indian-origin British scientist has warned about the next variant of the corona virus. Professor Ravindra Gupta, a scientist at the University of Cambridge, said that Omicron being less aggressive is good news for now, but it is the result of an ‘evolutionary mistake’. He said that COVID-19 is spreading very effectively and there is no reason for it to be mild which indicates that the next form may be more contagious.
Ravindra Gupta, Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Diseases (CITIID), conducted a recent study on the Omicron form. The study found that this form of infection, which is widely spread in the UK and rapidly spreading in India, is less infecting the cells found in the lungs but the virus is not likely to be mild.
‘I think it’s an evolutionary mistake’
Professor Gupta said in an interview on Thursday, ‘It is estimated that viruses become milder over time, but this is not happening here due to long-term evolutionary trends. SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) does not have this problem because it is spreading very effectively, so there is no reason for it to be mild, especially in the era of vaccination. So I think it is an evolutionary mistake.’
“Omicron becoming less aggressive is obviously good news for now, but this will not necessarily happen in the next version and it could be more dangerous than anything we’ve seen before,” he said. The scientist advised the UK government that the vaccination campaign is important because it is our first weapon of defense against infection.
‘Third dose is mandatory in India’
On the effect of Omicron form in India, Professor Gupta said, “If there are many cases of delta infection in India, then there is some immunity there. The vaccines they have made are very good. We know that Omicron is not affected by vaccines and a third dose is mandatory. He has given this warning at a time when booster doses are being given in many countries of the world.
.