Despite the cancellation of the epidemic by the minister of health (it was replaced by an epidemiological emergency – ed.), The coronavirus continues to infect. One of the reasons it spreads is that the pathogen keeps mutating. As noted by virologist Dr. Łukasz Rębalski, it happens “in real time”. The expert emphasizes, however, that the summer wave of infections turns out to be milder than expected. It is largely due to the Poles themselves, who no longer pretend that their COVID-19 symptoms are “just a cold” and isolate themselves in the event of a disease.
- Dr. Rębalski draws attention to the fact that although the number of infections is increasing, we should not expect a significant deterioration of the epidemiological situation
- As he explained, this is due both to the fact that the current variant of the virus seems less virulent than the previous one, and the fact that most Poles have been vaccinated or are immune because they have contracted COVID-19
- The expert also answered the question about possible co-infection, i.e. simultaneous COVID-19 and monkey pox
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SARS-CoV-2 is evolving, and we watch it “live”
– The virus is evolving, from the beginning of this pandemic, virologists have indicated that we are witnessing the evolution “in real time” – told PAP Dr. Łukasz Rąbalski, a virologist from the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology at the University of Gdańsk and the Medical University of Gdańsk. In his opinion, the peak of the summer COVID-19 wave will be milder than the previous ones.
– If it were up to me, all adult Poles could get vaccinated with the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. If it had been available to everyone a month ago, it would have been even better.
However, he added immediately that the most important thing is that “people who urgently need it, the most vulnerable, who are entitled to this fourth dose – that is 60+ and 12+ immunocompromised – have no problem getting vaccinated”.
He also said that not only from statistics, but also from observations of his immediate surroundings, it can be concluded that the number of infections is increasing.
– Another thing, that the people I am among are aware of the danger and test themselves at the slightest symptom, not pretending that it is »just a cold«.
He added that the upward trend in infections was clearly visible from the beginning of July, when “the situation began to thicken”.
In his opinion, all indications are that the peak of the summer COVID-19 wave, which is yet to come, will be milder than the previous ones. – It can already be seen that among the newly infected there are much fewer people requiring hospitalization.
As he explained, this is due both to the fact that the current variant of the virus seems less virulent than the previous one, and the fact that most Poles have been vaccinated, and moreover, a large group has already contracted it, so people have developed immunity.
– The virus is evolving, from the beginning of this pandemic, virologists have pointed out that we are witnessing evolution “in real time”. This is the same evolution as species differentiation, but on a small scale of the viral genome, he emphasized.
He also pointed out that this the virus jumped from another animal species to a human, which always causes an acceleration of genetic changes. “And it’s not just SARS-CoV-2, but all the viruses that jump between different hosts,” he added.
As Dr. Rąbalski said, this is because the virus has to adapt to the new host.
– For example, cold viruses, and there are over 200 of them, have been evolutionarily with us for so long that they cause very little symptoms in humans. And this is what every pathogen should strive for – not to kill the host, to cause the mildest possible symptoms of the disease in him, to be able to multiply in a given population as easily as possible – he explained. – This is why it seems natural that after the turbulent times of the first waves of a pandemic, each new one will be milder – he assessed.
The rest of the text below the video.
Monkey pox is more dangerous than it seemed
When asked about another zoonotic virus: monkey pox – for the spread of which the WHO has declared a public health emergency – he said the situation should be watched carefully as the pathogen turned out to be more contagious than originally thought.
– It spreads not only through body fluids, but also through droplets, as well as through the usual prolonged contact of the infected skin with the skin of a healthy person. At the same time, its stability in the environment is long – he explained.
In addition, as it turns out, an infected person can infect others even before he develops symptoms in the form of a skin rash.
– The evolutionary rate is also higher than the biology of this virus would suggest, although it is not as lightning-fast as with the SARS-CoV-2 virus or the influenza virus – he emphasized.
Asked about it what will happen when at the same time, in the fall, two waves of cases will meet – COVID-19 and monkey pox – the virologist said that so far no knowledge about co-infections (i.e., coexisting infections) with these two diseases.
– I personally study the co-infections with various respiratory viruses; monkey pox could also be counted here, because it can also be infected by droplets. In viral infections, there is a mechanism that infection with one type of virus can block infection with another, he explained.
He explained that this mechanism was based on the fact that “the viruses that enter the cells of the body first do not really care that someone else can also get there and nest there.” Therefore, they block this possibility by cutting off certain cellular processes and thus preventing the entry of other viruses ».
He added that there are, for example, studies showing that people who have recently had colds have flu more easily – there is another mechanism to increase the non-specific immunity of the mucous membranes, this could be called “general training”.
– However, when it comes to co-infections with monkey pox and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, both a positive and a negative scenario may work. However, until we receive statistically significant data, that is, until a significant number of people are simultaneously infected with these two viruses at the same time, all we will say is fortune-telling on coffee grounds – assessed Dr. Łukasz Rąbalski, virologist. (PAP)
Author: Mira Suchodolska
me/ pat/
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