Adding more pain to the wounds, Malaysia has now detected a strain of the new coronavirus 'D614G' that happens to be ten times more infectious.
The mutation of D614G, earlier witnessed in other parts of the world, was found in at least three of the 45 cases in a cluster that started from a restaurant owner, who returned from India and flouted his 14-day home quarantine norm. Since then, the violator has been sentenced to five months in prison and fined. However, the strain was also found in another cluster involving people returning from the Philippines.
According to Director-General of Health, Noor Hisham Abdullah, the strain could mean that existing studies on vaccines may be incomplete or ineffective against the mutation.
"So far these two clusters are controlled due to the fast-paced public health control actions on the field. This test is an early test. There are several follow-up tests in progress for many other cases. These include index cases for both these clusters," Abdullah said.
Also Read: China grants 1st patent to indigenously developed Covid vaccine
Abdullah stressed that people ought to be more aware and careful because the mutation infects other individuals 10 times more and spreads more easily by an individual 'super spreader'.
The mutation has become the predominant variant in Europe and the US, with the World Health Organisation saying there's no strong evidence that the strain leads to more severe disease. According to a paper in 'Cell Press,' the mutation may not have a major impact on the efficacy of vaccines that are currently being developed.