Concerns that the massive Covid-19 wave in China after the lifting of the strictest quarantine rules from early December 2022 could lead to the emergence of virus variants that are dangerous for other countries appear to be unfounded for the time being. A recent study from Beijing in the medical journal The Lancet showed no new mutations in SARS-CoV-2.
“Genomic analysis of 413 new Covid-19 infections in Beijing since China lifted its strictest pandemic regulations suggests they were all caused by previously known strains. More than 90 percent of local infections in Beijing between November 14 and December 20, 2022 were caused by omicron subvariants BA.5.2 or BFD.7,” wrote the world-renowned medical journal that published the scientific study.
Rapid increase in the number of infections after the end of the measures
After about three years of a zero-Covid policy, including extreme restrictions on its 1.4 billion people, China had lifted the most restrictive measures on December 7 last year. The result – mainly due to the incomplete vaccination strategy in the previous pandemic years – was a sky-high number of cases.
George Gao and his colleagues at the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have been conducting genome studies of the SARS-CoV-2 strains in circulation for years. “Of course, given the effect virus variants have had on the course of the pandemic, it is important to examine whether new mutations have emerged since recent changes in Chinese strategies to prevent new infections and control the disease” , explains the scientist.
DNA from over 2800 samples decoded
For evolutionary biological reasons, more infections with a pathogen ‘automatically’ lead to more gene mutations. This can also lead to the emergence of new virus strains that evade natural immune protection or are caused by vaccination. Resistance to existing antiviral drugs (Paxlovid, Molnupiravir, Remdesivir) would in principle also be possible. The “passive vaccination” with certain monoclonal antibodies against individual virus variants repeatedly became ineffective due to new pathogens during the Covid 19 pandemic.
The Chinese scientists therefore randomly selected 413 new virus samples from a total of 2881 virus samples in the study and deciphered their genetic material. This started on November 14, 2022, when the number of cases in Beijing suddenly skyrocketed, and lasted until December 20 last year. 350 of the virus samples came from the Beijing area, 63 came from abroad. “The dominant viral strain after November 14, 2022 was BF.7, accounting for 75.7 percent of local infections. Another omicron subvariant, BA.5.2, accounted for 16.3 percent.
‘Data from China urgently needed’
South African virologists Wolfgang Preiser and Tongai Maponga of Stellenbosch University, who themselves were not involved in the scientific research, were calm about the results: “These data from China were urgently needed. It is certainly reassuring that this study does not provide any indications for new variants. The increase in diseases is probably largely due to the rapid end of previously effective control measures. as a whole from one region. In any case, the situation should be further monitored.
Source: Krone
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