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Compared to the influenza virus, the rate of change in the SARS-CoV-2 genetic code is relatively slow. Nevertheless, when drugs for the coronavirus are created, they will have to be used with caution, because variants resistant to the drug will appear – virologist Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć.
Prof. Pyrć from the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University noted that prefers not to talk about mutations, but about the natural variability of the virus.
“Just as people differ in eye and hair color, there are differences between coronaviruses,” he said. – Compared to influenza viruses, the rate of change of coronaviruses is slow.
The emergence of new strains – for example among influenza viruses – means that last year’s vaccine against this disease may no longer be effective this year. Could the same be with the coronavirus?
– Each virus changes over time. Currently, we have closed borders and viruses in Poland evolve independently of coronaviruses, e.g. in Germany. We see variability that looks a bit different in each case, but that doesn’t mean that new strains have actually appeared, he explains and adds: As for SARS-CoV-2, I expect that there will actually be separate strains over time, but it will not happen in the near future.
How is it that viruses start to differ from each other?
When a virus replicates, the enzymes responsible for copying its genetic code (polymerase) sometimes get it wrong. And these changes perpetuate in the pathogen’s RNA. However, when it comes to coronaviruses, such errors appear relatively rarely compared to other RNA viruses.
– Coronaviruses – one of the largest RNA viruses – are unique because they have their “control and surveillance system”, which makes sure that errors do not occur during RNA copying, and thus the multiplication of the virus, – explained the specialist. they don’t change as fast as influenza viruses, for example.
However, he added that once confirmed drugs against COVID-19 are created, it will probably turn out that variants of the coronavirus resistant to these drugs are emerging.
– Therefore, these drugs will have to be used wisely – only where they are really necessary. Don’t abuse them, he warned.
When asked about the prospect of developing a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, prof. Pyrć replied:
– So far, there are over 100 initiatives in the world that aim to develop a vaccine against coronaviruses. I keep my fingers crossed that it will succeed, but this is experimental work. This is not building a house, putting together a puzzle.
He added that the work does not go as fast as in the movies, because it is about real science.
“We can’t count on any magic solution to fix the problem.
He pointed out that in the work on the vaccine, some research groups try to skip the stage of basic research, going straight to clinical trials and hoping that some solution will work.
Zobacz: “Vaccine development continues as fast as COVID-19 spreads”
– I count on it too, but only at the end of the research we will know if we have the vaccine or not. We have been trying to make a coronavirus vaccine for 20 years and have not yet succeeded. However, I hope that by engaging such large resources, processing capacity and smart people, we will be able to do it – summed up Pyrć.
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