M’sia Detected a New Strain of Coronavirus Called D614G That’s Allegedly 10 Times More Infectious

By
Zhi Hao
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Just when you thought that the situation could not possibly get any worse, it has happened:

The Covid-19 has digivolved mutated.

Image: giphy

And it seems that this time around, there may really be no escaping it, as apparently…

It’s up to ten times more infectious than the original strain.

Image: Giphy

Allegedly, of course.

And honestly speaking, considering how infectious Covid-19 had already proved to be, one can only wonder…

Just how potent is this newest ‘revelation’ gonna be?

M’sia Detected a New Strain of Coronavirus That’s Allegedly 10 Times More Infectious

According to The Straits Times, a mutation of the original coronavirus has been uncovered across the causeway.

Apparently, the relevant health authorities have stated that it is far more infectious than the original Wuhan strain.

Termed the D614G, the mutation was found by the Malaysian Institute for Medical Research in four cases out of two Covid-19 clusters in the country:

The Sivagangga cluster and the Ulu Tiram cluster.

“It’s found to be 10 times more infectious and is easily spread by an individual,” said Malaysia’s health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

According to him, the strain was discovered in preliminary tests, and there will be follow-up tests on other cases.

He added that the D614G mutation was first uncovered in July 2020, and could mean the ineffectiveness of current vaccine research.

Russia, you reading this?

Here’s What They Know About The Virus So Far

So what’s in it for us? Here’s what the authorities know about the virus thus far:

  • The mutation entails a change from D (aspartic acid) to G (glycine) at position 614 of the amino acid, thus becoming known as D-614-G
  • The Covid-19 mutation has since shifted on global scale from D614 to G614
  • G614 is more infectious in laboratory settings
  • However, there is no evidence (as of now) that D614 is any deadlier than G614
  • Treatment options should stay the same for both
  • Both strains may have similar reactions to vaccines

So in a sense, you don’t have to start panicking and packing your bags and booking your ticket to Mars on the nearest SpaceX flight. Yet. Though admittedly, the “10 times” notion does cut a worrying figure.

And that’s why it’s imperative that we obey health protocols more than ever. Though the newly-evolved form may have been discovered in Malaysia, we are not yet aware as to whether it’s present in other countries as well.

Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:

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Zhi Hao
Email: [email protected]