Daily Times

There’s already another dominant covid strain and it is slowly slithering its way into Pakistan. The first case of B-7, a highly transmissible Covid-19 sub-variant was detected in Karachi last Tuesday. It is believed that B-7 functions differently from its relatives, not only is it able to evade protective antibodies but is also better at binding to cells, putting healthy adults at an increased risk of infection even if they have been vaccinated or infected with a previous variant. However, immunocompromised individuals continue to be the most vulnerable group.

The variant first emerged in China towards the end of 2021 after the government put an end to its stringent Covid-19 policy. They did not, however, expect the virus to acquire genetic mutations so rapidly. The end of mandatory mass COVID-19 testing has also signaled the beginning of another epidemic that has already produced a dramatic surge of infections in Beijing. The high transmission risk of B-7 has also increased the number of asymptomatic carriers, creating difficulties for governments across the globe as there is no reliable way of assessing the exact scale of the virus.

Amid all the political uncertainty in Pakistan, it is unlikely that policymakers have given much thought to the virus but there is a significant risk that B-7 will drive infections higher just as the rates of vaccination begin to slow down. We must remain open to the idea of speeding up vaccine authorizations and discuss dosing regimens that have the capacity to protect as many people as possible.

Vaccines remain the safest way to bolster the immune system against the virus, eliciting a broad immune response that is likely to stay at least vaguely effective even as new mutations and variants emerge. Booster shots have also been recommended as they have the unique ability to battle both the original COVID-19 strain and its subsequent variants. While it may be tempting to resume life the way it was lived before the advent of the pandemic, we must continue to exercise caution and give priority to simple transmission-reducing measures such as frequent hand-washing and physical distancing in poorly ventilated places. Vaccinating high-risk groups remains crucial to maximizing global protection against new mutations. *