NEW DELHI: A study reveals that the Delta variant of Covid-19 can probably shatter the vaccine cover, as SARS CoV-2, (the virus which causes the disease) has the potential to acquire deadly mutations, health experts said on Wednesday. As new variants are formed, it causes change to the spike protein and the structure undergoes a complete change, a reason why it can render the current vaccines, originally designed to target the protein, ineffective.
Spike proteins, on the surface of SARS CoV-2, are what enable the virus to attach to and enter our cells, and all current vaccines are directed against them. Changes on the spike protein can determine how far and quickly the virus can spread.
"There is an alteration in the structure of the virus proteins due to mutations, which can bypass the targets of some vaccines. This means there is a possibility that the virus may elude the vaccine coverage," Dr Praveen Gupta, Director Neurology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugramsaid.
When mutation changes, it can possibly breach vaccine protection. "There's no doubt about it. We hope the vaccine will work. But with mutation, the virus changes its structure to become a new virus, while the vaccine remains the same. As bacteria develops resistance, so can the virus change mutation," emphasised Dr S.P. Byotra, Chairman of Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), New Delhi.
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