Pakistan reports 68 Covid-19 deaths, 2,928 cases in 24 hours
Pakistan has reported 2,928 positive cases of covid-19 with 68 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
Total 57,626 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours as the positivity percentage was measured at 5.08%.
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The country is facing 4th wave of the coronavirus and it has so far reported 1,207,508 cases and 26,787 deaths since the beginning of pandemic.
Yesterday, Pakistan reported reported 3,012 positive cases of covid-19 with 66 deaths .
56,778 tests were conducted and the positivity percentage was measured at 5.30%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has added another coronavirus strain “MU variant” to its “variants of interest” and this is all what you need to know about.
The mu variant, also known as B.1.621, was first detected in Colombia in January. It was added to the WHO’s monitoring radar because the organization says it contains mutations that could allow it to escape vaccine immunity.
According to World Health Organization a variant of interest has genetic changes considered likely to affect virus characteristics such as transmissibility, immune system evasion or disease severity.
In addition, the variant may be responsible for significant community transmission or multiple COVID-19 clusters in multiple countries — suggesting “an emerging risk to global public health.”
WHO has labelled ‘MU’ as “variant of concern.” WHO gives that designation to coronavirus strains when scientific evidence shows they may be associated with higher transmissibility, virulence or is about disease severity, or may reduce the effectiveness of therapy, testing or vaccines.
The WHO uses a naming system based on the Greek alphabet to designate variants of interest and concern — hence “mu,” the 12th letter in that system.
According to Dr. Charles Chiu, a prominent UCSF virologist whose lab conducts coronavirus genetic sequencing, said mu contains several mutations shared by variants of interest and concern that make it worrisome.
• E484K: This mutation is found in beta and gamma variants. It could make it so that “monoclonal treatments may not be as useful,” and may also allow the variant to “evade immunity from natural infection,” Chiu said.
• P681H: This mutation found in the alpha variant. It is thought to have partially increased the transmissibility of alpha, Chiu said.
• K417N: This mutation is found in the delta-plus variant. It could possibly increase the likelihood of antibody resistance, which could “make it more capable of evading vaccines and natural infection,” Chiu said.
