Will vaccine work against fast-spreading COVID-19 new variant?

KATHMANDU: Nepal has confirmed that a new variant of coronavirus has entered Nepal as well.

Issuing a statement on Monday the Ministry of Health and Population stated that three out of six people who arrived here from the UK a few days ago are found infected with the new variant.

When asked about the new variant of the coronavirus, Dr Jageshwor Gautam, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, said the new variant can spread faster than the COVID-19.

Even though it has not yet been confirmed how fatal it would be, it is likely to have an impact on the health of the people in general due to its fast-spreading nature, added Gautam.

Talking to Khabarhub, Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, the spokesperson at the Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, said the new variant COVID-19 can spread faster by 74 percent.

Scientists themselves have been divided over the effectiveness of the vaccine against the new variant of the coronavirus.

Dr Pun says the vaccine will be less effective when the virus undergoes genetic mutations. Even in the case of flu, vaccine will be effective only by 60 to 70 percent since it undergoes genetic mutations, said Dr Pun.

The Ministry said on Monday that out of six people, a 28-year-old female and 67 and 32 years old males, have tested positive for the new virus.

The Ministry had sent samples of six people who arrived from the UK to a laboratory in Hong Kong on January 11 to find out if there was a new strain of the virus.

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