Scientist warns of more severe pandemic due to Indian strain

The B1617 Covid-19 variant is becoming increasingly dominant worldwide and could worsen the pandemic - especially in countries with low vaccination rates - experts said in their latest assessment of the virus, Report informs referring to The Straits Times.

And this will not be the last time that the virus mutates, the experts added.

Professor Teo Yik Ying, Dean of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, told The Straits Times on Saturday (May 29): "What is frightening is the speed at which this variant can spread and circulate widely within the community, often surpassing the capability of contact-tracing units to track and isolate exposed contacts to break the transmission chains. It has the potential to unleash a bigger pandemic storm than the world has previously seen."

B1617 has mutated to spread more easily from person to person and may dampen the protection conferred by vaccines as well as natural infection, though only slightly, experts say.

The variant, which was first detected in India in October 2020, is now found everywhere.

It remains unclear if B1617 causes more severe illness or deaths even though it is more infectious and transmissible.

The best weapon remains widespread vaccination, Prof Teo said.

Vaccinated individuals have a reduced chance of being infected and a much lower likelihood of developing severe symptoms even if they are infected, Prof Teo said.

With more than 3,000 mutations and counting, more virulent strains might emerge in countries where pandemic control is lacking, Prof Teo said.