Amid the origin of new and potentially lethal strains of covid-19, BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin has said that the deadly virus is going to stay with us for the next decade at least.
In a virtual news conference this week, Sahin spoke about the potential virus deadline.
“We need a new definition of normal. The virus will be with us for the next 10 years,” he told media persons.
As the world grapples with the pandemic amid the origin of newer and potentially lethal strains, @BioNTech_Group CEO #UgurSahin has said that the deadly virus is going to stay with us for the next decade at least. pic.twitter.com/v74MdoYU7U
— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) December 26, 2020
BioNTech’s Covid-19 Vaccine Pfizer
Sahin also said that the vaccine can be adjusted for the new UK variant in about six weeks.
Developed with the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, BioNTech’s vaccine has been authorised to be used in additional than 45 countries, including Britain and the US.
“In principle, the beauty of the messenger technology is that we can directly start to engineer a vaccine which completely mimics this new mutation – we could be able to provide a new vaccine technically within six weeks,” he was quoted as saying in media reports.
New Covid-19 variant wouldn’t impact the efficacy of the vaccine
Sahin said he was confident that the new variant of the Covid-19 strain in the UK wouldn’t impact the efficacy of the vaccine.
The new strain of Covid is causing more concern for everyone all around the world including in India, and it remains to be seen what effect it could have.
The UK has reported the highest number of Covid-19 fatalities this week, since late April, after the discovery of a second new variant of the novel coronavirus in Britain.
The Origin Of The New Covid-19 Variant
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the second new variant was reportedly associated with travellers from South Africa , and two cases are reported so far .
“This new variant is very concerning because it’s yet more transmissible and it appears to possess mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK,” he said this week.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on December 19 has announced, the discovery of a first mutant Covid-19 strain which is said to be about 70 per cent more contagious.
Johnson as a result imposed Tier Four restrictions in London and other parts of England.
Symptoms Of The New Virus Variant
Besides the three commonest symptoms of COVID-19 like fever, dry cough and loss of sense of smell and taste, 7 other symptoms are related to the new strain of coronavirus. Following are the signs you ought to be careful for.
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Headache
- Diarrhoea
- Mental confusion
- Muscle pains
