Day: June 25, 2021

The emergence of new strains with the spread of the coronavirus entails novel difficulties and uncertainties in the fight against the pandemic.

COVID-19 has been changing in time, just like any other virus. While the essential traits of the virus remain the same, some changes that are described as “mutations” can lead to considerable differences in the basic characteristics and, accordingly, the effects of the virus.

Scientists point out how easily the mutations of COVID-19 spreads, the disease setting, the level of immunity of the vaccines, and the success of diagnosis, treatment and protection measures.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defined four of the mutations of COVID-19 that have emerged so far as a “variant of concern” (VOC) and eight as a “variant of interest” (VOI).

The organization warned that the variants of concern are associated with “increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; or decrease in the effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics.”

The other eight variants defined as variants of interests, however, have been “identified to cause community transmission2/multiple COVID-19 cases/clusters, or has been detected in multiple countries.”

On May 31, WHO decided to name the variants, which had previously been named after the countries where they emerged, with letters of the Greek alphabet.

Accordingly, the four VOC were named as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, whereas the eight VOI were named as Epsilon (two variants), Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa and Lambda.

Scientists have so far detected over 4,000 mutations in the structure of the COVID-19 virus.

Most of the variants that are classified as VOC and VOI result from the changes in the spike protein, which allows the virus to attach to human cells.

– Alpha strain

The B.1.1.7 strain detected in the UK in Sept. 2020 for the first time and later named as Alpha was the first COVID-19 mutation that WHO defined as a variant of concern.

In a study conducted by the Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases under the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the variant was discovered to be 43% to 90% more contagious than the wild type (natural phenotype) of COVID-19 in the samples examined in the UK.

A similar increase in the contagiousness trait was observed in studies conducted in Denmark, Switzerland and the USA.

However, different findings as to the variant led to a higher mortality rate emerged as well. The alpha variant caused 71% more fatalities according to LSHTM, 70% according to the University of Exeter, 65% according to the Public Health England and 36% according to Imperial College London, compared to previous COVID-19 strains observed within the UK.

Experts, on the other hand, indicated that the findings were obtained by examining a limited number of samples, underlining that it is not possible to reach a conclusion that lethality has increased in the general population.

With the stains spread throughout the autumn of 2020 and becoming the dominant COVID-19 type, a drastic increase in the number of cases in the winter months was observed in the UK.

The British government had to implement curfews and quarantine measures once again across the country on Jan. 4.

– Beta strain

B.1.351, or Beta variant, was first detected in South Africa in Oct. 2020 in a settlement near Nelson Mandela Bay.

The Beta variant, which is believed to have mutated in May 2020, is estimated to be the first COVID-19 mutation to have emerged among the strains that are defined as variants of concern by the WHO.

The variant was observed to be more common among young individuals with no previous history of acute diseases and posed a higher risk of serious disease in the age group compared to the wild type of COVID-19.

The spread of the variant is thought to have contributed to the increase in cases in South Africa from the autumn of 2020 to early 2021.

Sharing similarities with the Alpha variant, the Beta strain creates additional mutations in the spike protein and has led to concerns that the virus may develop resistance to vaccines as well as increasing the contagiousness of the virus.

Vaccine manufacturers Johnson&Johnson, Pfizer-BionTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford, Sinopharm and Moderna reported that the variant reduces the protection of COVID-19 vaccines and develops resistance against the antibodies.

– Gamma strain

The P.1 variant, first detected in Japan in passengers traveling from Brazil in Jan. 2020 and later named “Gamma,” was also among the COVID-19 mutations described by WHO as a variant of concern.

The variant is known to cause 17 changes in the amino acids of the virus. Ten of these affect the spike protein, which allows the virus to attach to the human body.

The strain is estimated to have been effective in the sudden spike in cases in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, earlier 2021.

In the blood analysis research conducted in Oct. 2020, it was found out that 76% of the city’s residents had antibodies developed by the human body against COVID-19, which was above the rate of 67%, which indicates herd immunity.

However, the emergence of the new wave of a pandemic in the city in Jan. 2021 led to concerns that the change in the virus made the body’s natural antibody protection against the wild type ineffective, and it could develop resistance to vaccines.

– Delta strain

First detected in India in Oct. 2020 and called a double mutant, 1.617.2 was the last COVID-19 mutation described by WHO as a variant of concern.

The Delta variant of the virus, which causes mutations in the spike protein that can affect infectiousness and resistance to antibodies, is estimated to have been responsible for the second wave of the pandemic, which started in March in India and increased the daily number of cases up to 400,000.

Public Health England warned that the spread rate of the Delta variant is 51% to 67% higher than the Alpha variant after an assessment in May.

WHO announced on June 19 in a statement that the highly contagious Delta variant was expected to become the dominant strain worldwide.

Causing flu-like disease symptoms such as headache, dryness in throat, runny nose and fever, the Delta variant differs from the disease setting seen in previous types of COVID-19 with pneumonia, flu, cough, respiratory stress and back pain.

The Delta variant was detected to have developed a certain level of resistance to vaccines.

In a research on the effect of an inactive vaccine that Bharat Biotech company developed against the wild type of COVID-19 on virus strains, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that the vaccine was successful in inactivating the mutations in the B.1.617 family.

Public Health England pointed out that Pfizer-BionTech and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines were 33% and Pfizer-BionTech was 88% effective after the first dose against the Delta strain whereas Pfizer-BionTech was 88% and AstraZeneca-Oxford was 60% effective after the second dose.

In clinic studies, both vaccines had proven over 90% effective against the wild type of COVID-19.

– Delta plus strain

The Indian Health Ministry announced that a derivative mutation of the Delta variant, which first appeared in April 2021, has been classified as a variant of concern.

It was stated that the additional mutation called AY.1 caused the virus to spread and bind to lung cells more easily and to increase resistance to antibody treatment.

While the Delta Plus variant has been detected in about 40 people in three states of India, it has spread to nine other countries: the USA, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, Russia and China.

Scientists emphasize that there is not yet enough data to consider the new mutation as a variant of concern.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Top pro-India politicians from the disputed Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir met on Thursday Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since New Delhi stripped the region’s autonomy.

Modi’s Hindu nationalist government in August 2019 downgraded the region’s special status, and split it into two federal territories. The move was followed by a military and communications lockdown, and arrest of political leadership.

The Muslim-majority region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. Since partition in 1947, they have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir. Some Kashmiri groups have also been fighting against Indian rule for independence or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

The meeting in New Delhi that lasted for about three hours was attended by the Himalayan region’s 14 political leaders, including Kashmir’s four top elected officials: Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Some of the local parties have formed an alliance known as People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, seeking the restoration of the region’s political autonomy.

Mufti, the president of People’s Democratic Party, said she told the prime minister during the meeting that the region’s semi-autonomous powers should be restored.

“People of Jammu and Kashmir are in a lot of difficulties after Aug. 5, 2019. They are angry, upset and emotionally shattered. They feel humiliated, people of Jammu and Kashmir don’t accept the manner in which Article 370 was abrogated unconstitutionally, illegally and immorally,” she told reporters after the meeting.

She added that her party and the people of Jammu and Kashmir “will struggle constitutionally, democratically, peacefully. Whether its takes months or years, we’ll restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir as it’s a matter of our identity.”

Omar, the vice president of the National Conference Party, said he told Modi “we’re not ready to accept” the 2019 changes. “But we won’t take the law into our hands, we will fight this in court, and hope that we’ll get justice in the court.”

The constitutional changes – abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A – were soon challenged in the Supreme Court, and the matter is still pending.

“The prime minister asked us to participate in the delimitation process, and we have been assured that this is the roadmap toward elections,” said Altaf Bukhari, who heads the regional Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party. “The prime minister said he is committed to the restoration of statehood.”

Azad, who is a senior leader of the main opposition Indian National Congress, said they put forth five demands which included the restoration of the region’s statehood, release of political prisoners, protections on land and jobs for the local population, and elections.

“Overall restoration of state and holding elections, this was by and large the consensus,” Ghulam Ahmad Mir, chief of the Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir who also attended the session, told Anadolu Agency.

He said the meeting was held in a cordial manner, and the prime minister heard the leaders “very patiently.”

Meanwhile, Modi, in a tweet, said the meeting “is an important step in the ongoing efforts towards a developed and progressive J&K.”

“Our priority is to strengthen grassroots democracy in J&K. Delimitation has to happen at a quick pace so that polls can happen and J&K gets an elected Government that gives strength to J&K’s development trajectory,” he wrote in another post.

Source: Anadolu Agency

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday defended a Royal Navy destroyer that sailed through Ukrainian waters claimed by Moscow, denying that Russian forces had fired warning shots at the vessel.

“These are a matter for the MoD (Ministry of Defence) but if you want my view I think it was wholly appropriate to use international waters, and by the way the important point is that we don’t recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea, this is part of a sovereign Ukrainian territory,” said Johnson on the incident that took place on Wednesday.

“It was entirely right that we should vindicate the law and pursue freedom of navigation in the way that we did, take the shortest route between two points, and that’s what we did,” Johnson added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously vowed that in the event of a “repeat of unacceptable provocative action — if those actions go too far — no options can be ruled out in terms of legally defending Russia’s borders.”

The UK has rejected Russian claims that a Russian border patrol boat fired warning shots at the destroyer and that Russian air force planes dropped bombs in its path as the vessel made its way through Black Sea waters.

In response, Russia has accused the UK of telling “barefaced lies” and summoned the British ambassador in Moscow.

“That’s not my information and my understanding is that the carrier strike group proceeded in the way you would expect through international waters and in accordance with the law,” Johnson told reporters during a visit to a military barracks in New Normandy.

“I think it was very important for the carrier strike group to do what they’re going to do around the world, in partnership with 40 other countries on maneuvers, sticking up for our values, sticking up for what we believe in.

“That includes democracy, human rights, equalities, but also the rule of law and freedom of navigation. We don’t recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea, it was illegal, these are Ukrainian waters and it was entirely right to use them to go from A to B.”

Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, a takeover that Britain and the UN consider illegal, and in the process claimed the waters around its coast.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Muslim charities have sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to probe what the charities call unfair tax audits that end up removing their charitable tax status, according to Canadian media reports

A recently-released report from the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group said the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) actively joins the nation’s security agencies to target Muslim charities.

When the organizations lose their charitable status, donors can no longer claim the funds as a tax deduction, causing a drop in contributions.

The letter sent Wednesday is signed by 129 groups, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Edmonton Islamic Centre, the London Muslim Mosque and civil liberty organizations, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper.

Anadolu Agency reported earlier this month that Muslim charities have been singled out for scrutiny by the CRA and charities planned to ask Trudeau to conduct an investigation.

The letter on Wednesday confirmed that Trudeau and some of his Cabinet ministers have been notified of the request.

“The report shows that the Review and Analysis Division (RAD), a little know division of the CRA is targeting Muslim charities for audits, based on prejudiced and unsupported allegation of a risk of terrorist financing,” according to the report obtained by Anadolu Agency. “Between 2008 and 2015, 75% of all charities revoked by (CRA) following these secretive audits were Muslim charities, harming the sector and impacting the larger Muslim community in Canada.”

In May 2020, the Ottawa Islamic Centre had its charitable status revoked by the CRA because it said mosque speakers had pursued “activities that promote hate and intolerance.”

Yet no Muslim charities have been charged with terror financing, the report states.

“Targeting Muslim charities on the basis of terrorist financing suspicions simply because of the religion they uphold is Islamophobic and prejudiced,” said the letter.

The report called for a moratorium on the audit of Muslim charities until an investigation is conducted.

The CRA has denied the charge. When contacted about the letter, the Prime Minister’s Office directed inquiries to Tax Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier.

A spokesperson for Lebouthillier’s office said the tax department and the PMO does not “instruct the CRA to begin audits nor do they intervene in audits underway.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Japan’s population declined by 0.7% during the past five years, dropping out for the first time since 1950 from the world’s top 10 countries in terms of population.

The latest census data of 2020, released by the Internal Affairs Ministry on Friday, showed that the country’s population stood at 126,226,568 as of Oct. 1, 2020, reported Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Japan, comprising 1.6% of the global population, dropped one place from 10th to 11th in the world ranking of the most populated countries, it said, citing the latest UN report.

According to the report, Japan is the only nation among the top 20 populated countries of the world, while its population dropped by around 868,000 from 2015 to 2020.

But the number of households increased by 4.2 % to 55.7 million.

The average number of members per household fell to 2.27 from 2.38 in the 2015 survey, the lowest since comparable data became available in 1970 as more elderly people lived alone, according to the report.

– Child population

Meanwhile, the country’s child population also decreased, with the number of children aged 14 or younger standing at 14.93 million as of April 1 this year.

The figures released by the government last month indicated that Japan has seen the child population dropping continuously over the past 40 straight years, leaving the world’s third-largest economy grappling with an aging population.

Japan is among 33 countries with the lowest child population ratio, along with South Korea and Italy.

According to the ministry, this ratio fell to its base at 11.9% after 47 straight years of decline.

Out of 14.93 million people aged 14 or younger, there are 7.65 million boys and 7.28 million girls. Those aged up to 2 years old account for 2.65 million.

The child population had peaked in the country in 1954, with 29.89 million, but it has seen a constant decline since 1982.

Japan has measured its population every five years since 1920.

Source: Anadolu Agency