By Ron Howells • 30 April 2021 • 9:18
China Goes On High Alert As First Cases Of Indian Double Mutation Detected. image: China Star
China Goes On High Alert As First Cases Of Indian Double Mutation Detected.
CHINA is on high alert after registering its first cases of the ‘double mutant’ coronavirus variant plaguing India, a leading epidemiologist has confirmed. Wu Zunyou raised concerns about the spread of the new mutation during a major announcement on Thursday. He said the “Indian variant” had been found in “some Chinese cities,” fuelling calls for stricter border control.
Mr Wu, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing, said: “The virus has been mutating since the start of the pandemic. Implementing containment measures is key to stopping the spread of mutant strains, and also to prevent the occurrence of new mutations.”
The news sparked a wave of comments on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where users created the hashtag “Indian virus variant detected in some Chinese cities.”
“The major factor in the spread of the virus is the behaviour of the people. The spread of the virus is largely because of us not taking care of each other. Variants are just taking advantage of our carelessness,” says Rakesh Mishra, director of the Indian Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.
This surge of Covid-19 cases comes three months after the Indian health minister announced “India has successfully contained the pandemic.” He believed that studies based on a mathematical “Indian Supermodel” suggested the country “may have reached herd immunity” through natural infections.
But the model was flawed, and the results skewed by the lack of accurate data. Now the number of daily new infections has crippled the healthcare system; oxygen and PPE supplies have run out, there are no hospital beds available, and patients are dying on sidewalks and streets as they wait outside hospitals.
The Indian variant of the coronavirus has three threatening mutations. The worst wave of covid that a country has suffered since the start of the pandemic may be accelerated by a new version of the virus, although experts ask for caution given the lack of data.
The strain is causing severe havoc in India, the new hotspot of the world pandemic, and has also triggered alarm in the UK. Experts warn the Prime Minister’s roadmap to ending lockdown restrictions could be jeopardised.
Deenan Pillay, professor of Virology at University College London, highlighted the dangers of the new variant spreading in the UK as the country prepares to ease all remaining restrictions on June 21.
Source: dailystar
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Ron actually started his working career as an Ophthalmic Technician- things changed when, during a band rehearsal, his amplifier blew up and he couldn’t get it fixed so he took a course at Birmingham University and ended up doing a degree course. He built up a chain of electronics stores and sold them as a franchise over 35 years ago. After five years touring the world Ron decided to move to Spain with his wife and son, a place they had visited over the years, and only bought the villa they live in because it has a guitar-shaped swimming pool!. Playing the guitar since the age of 7, he can often be seen, (and heard!) at beach bars and clubs along the length of the coast. He has always been interested in the news and constantly thrives to present his articles in an interesting and engaging way.
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