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<\/picture><\/a><\/p>\nAnd as South Korea is showing us right now, the virus can be surprisingly difficult to eradicate completely, just one more reason why the world needs to find a more sustainable way to live with COVID-19, rather than resorting to lockdowns as the only tool in the kit.<\/p>\n
But there’s one variable that could upend all of this thinking, and effectively force all vulnerable populations into strict lockdown mode: that would be a mutation that causes it to become even more deadly. As\u00a0Dr. Fauci<\/a>\u00a0once warned, mutations could make\u00a0the virus more virulent and more infectious<\/a>, and there’s already some evidence that\u00a0certain strains of the virus are much deadlier than others.<\/a><\/p>\n And as\u00a0Bloomberg reported<\/a>\u00a0on Monday, Southeast Asia – Malaysia specifically – has seen evidence that a certain mutation is more infectious, just like other mutations catalogued in\u00a0the UK, NY and elsewhere.<\/a>\u00a0They call the mutation “D614G”. It’s also the “predominant variation of the virus” seen in Europe and the US –\u00a0meaning it’s the same “world-conquering” virus\u00a0we reported on back in June.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Southeast Asia is facing a strain of the new coronavirus that the Philippines, which faces the region\u2019s largest outbreak, is studying to see whether the mutation makes it more infectious.<\/p>\n The strain, earlier seen in other parts of the world and called D614G, was found in a Malaysian cluster of 45 cases that started from someone who returned from India and breached his 14-day home quarantine.<\/strong>\u00a0The Philippines detected the strain among random Covid-19 samples in the largest city of its capital region.<\/p>\n The mutation \u201cis said to have a higher possibility of transmission or infectiousness, but we still don\u2019t have enough solid evidence to say that that will happen,\u201d Philippines\u2019 Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual briefing on Monday.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n And now, we can add ‘Southeast Asia’ to its list of conquered territory.<\/p>\n Though the often intransigent WHO has yet to fully acknowledge the mutation’s potential, it\u00a0“is said to have a higher possibility of transmission or infectiousness, but we still don\u2019t have enough solid evidence to say that that will happen,”<\/strong>\u00a0Philippines’ Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told BBG.<\/p>\n Keputusan terkini baru diterima dari makmal Institut Penyelidikan Perubatan (IMR): seperti disyaki mutasi jenis D614G…<\/p>\n Posted by\u00a0Noor Hisham Abdullah<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Saturday, August 15, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Some argue the mutation won’t have an impact on vaccines being developed. But we can’t say any of this with 100% certainty, as much as some scientists would like to dismiss the risks out of hand.<\/p>\n One HK University professor told BBG that the mutation\u00a0“might be a little bit more contagious. We haven\u2019t yet got enough evidence to evaluate that, but there\u2019s no evidence that it\u2019s a lot more contagious,\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>University of Hong Kong\u2019s Cowling said.<\/p>\n Others have claimed it’s “ten times more infectious” than the original.<\/p>\n Still, as more evidence suggests that the variation is linked to higher levels of mortality, understanding its potential will be key to bringing the vicious pandemic to heel.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/a><\/p>\n<\/picture><\/a><\/p>\n