COVID-19 patients detected post-New Year season are showing severe symptoms as opposed to the patients reported before implied by Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, the Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
Dr. Jeewandara quoted “At present severe complications are being reported among young individuals infected with the virus, and they are being directed to Intensive Care Units as severe disease cases.”
According to Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, it has been observed that the S-Protein which is one of the main gene targets to detect the presence of the COVID-19 virus, cannot be identified in the PCR samples obtained from Colombo and surrounding areas.
“We call this condition ‘S-gene Target Failure’,” elaborated Dr. Jeewandara.
Furthermore, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara noted that the new B.1.1.7 variant that spread in the United Kingdom recently, was detected following observation of such manner.
“As of yet, we do not know what is causing this ‘S-gene Target Failure.’ We do not know if this is another new variant. When the spread of the virus intensifies, it mutates; such mutations cause various problems. For example, there is a possibility the virus may not answer to the vaccines, it could transmit rapidly or cause severe complications,” Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, the Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of USJ further elaborated.
News Source : NewsFirst.lk
