The New Corona Strain Has No Effect on the Vaccine Moroccans Are Waiting For
Two virologists announced on Monday that the new strain of corona virus, which has emerged in Britain, has no effect on the clinical case nor the vaccine Moroccans are waiting for.
Two virologists announced on Monday that the new strain of corona virus, which has emerged in Britain, has no effect on the clinical case nor the vaccine Moroccans are waiting for.
Azzedine Brahimi, the director of the medical laboratory Biotechnology at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Rabat, stated that coronavirus has its dynamism as a living organ that co-exists, adapts as pressures are exerted on it, and that the virus known internationally is the one that appeared in the Chinese province Wuhan, pointing out that this virus developed in a first mutation called D 614 G that has prevailed in different parts of the world.
Professor Brahimi continued that every four days, a new mutation appears. It is a mutation that was not mentioned because it was not located in a sensitive place, which made it impossible to develop. Until the emergence of a new strain in southern Britain last week, called N 501 Y. The “speed of its outbreak exceeds 70% in comparison to the strain that existed before.”
In this regard, he stressed that this mutation, which has been existing since the months of April and May and is widespread in a certain area “does not affect the clinical condition of people. To date, there is no research that proves its effect on lethality of clinical conditions.”
This mutation “has no impact on the vaccines that have been developed so far,” he carried on. Adding that the fear that comes with it is “normal; because we, as a group of people, discover the field of viruses for the first time. And whenever a new strain emerges in the absence of accurate information, uncertainty and news take place, especially on social platforms.”
Professor Brahimi highlighted that in the face of pandemics, “the must scenario must be taken up.” Therefore, many countries decided to close their airspace for flights from Britain “to learn more about this strain and not expand its spread.”
He reassured Moroccans that this strain “does not exist in the kingdom yet. This was confirmed after analyzing more than 100 genomes during the period of the pandemic, and about 32 genomes this month.”
Dr Moulay Moustapha Ennaji, a virologist and director of Virology Laboratory at Hassan II University in Casablanca, said that corona virus is a permanent mutation of 8 species before the 9th one that appeared recently in southern Britain.
He warned that the mutation “increases the spread of the virus by 70%, which means that 5% of those infected might be in critical conditions, which puts pressure on the health system.”
He said that the spread of this new virus in a number of European countries “does not mean that it is more vicious and deadly, that it has effects on the vaccine Moroccans are waiting for,” stressing that the vaccine is effective and “even if there is an effect, it is slight (1% – 3%).”
He also noted that any vaccine’s effectiveness starts at 50%, “and that of the one expected to arrive in Morocco is up to 96%.”
He considered such pre-cautionary measures as wearing masks properly, washing hands constantly, respecting social distancing, and disinfecting surfaces the only way to prevent the virus before the arrival of the vaccine, for which the efforts of all laboratories were made, as its effectiveness appears after 3 months of vaccination.
He called on Moroccans to benefit from the vaccine by 70% “until there is a collective immunity that will eliminate the virus once and for all, and make us return to normal life.”