In the organisms of immunosuppressed patients with simultaneous infection with delta and omicron strains of coronavirus, a new mutation may occur. This was announced to Lente.ru by the immunologist Nikolai Kryuchkov.
The specialist explained that only a very susceptible organism to the virus can simultaneously become infected with two strains, since usually with the onset of the infectious process, the likelihood of infection with other viruses and virus variants changes due to the “turning on” of the immune system.
“In addition, it is necessary not only that they [омикрон и дельта] met, and that as a result of this meeting some mutant could be selected that would be evolutionarily stronger than the same omicron, ”the doctor said, commenting on the risk of a new mutation.
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According to him, such “mutants” can develop in the body of people prone to a long infectious process. “This is primarily due to severe immunosuppression: people with primary and secondary immunodeficiency, including drug deficiency, people after organ transplantation, people with severe oncological diseases. That is, this is a certain, rather narrow category of people, ”said Kryuchkov.
The immunologist added that the carrier of such a mutation does not face any special consequences. However, the population will be able to feel the effect of changing the virus if the “mutant” can spread. “If such a person manages to produce an effective “mutant” and this “mutant” can enter the population, then the effects can be,” the doctor concluded.
Doctor of Biological Sciences, virologist Pyotr Chumakov told Lente.ru that people with weak immunity become incubators for virus mutations, which begin to change and adapt in order to stay in the body longer. According to him, this phenomenon was described about a year ago on the example of a woman who had leukemia and underwent many courses of chemotherapy.
Former scientists found in the body of an HIV-positive 22-year-old resident of South Africa, 21 mutations of the coronavirus. She was contagious for nine months and recovered by starting HIV therapy.
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