Bulgarian Dr. Argirova: Mutations occur in People who do not have Antibodies to COVID-19

What do we know about the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant identified by the WHO as "alarming"? The answers are given by the President of the Bulgarian Society of Medical Virology and a member of the Expert Council of Virology under the Minister of Health - Prof. Dr. Radka Argirova, MD.

Why does the coronavirus mutate?

The process of replication of the virus is such that in each cycle of its life path it mutates. This is because RNA contains virus and RNA is variable. This is the nature of all RNA-containing viruses, so there is nothing strange about it. Therefore, we should not be surprised that the virus mutates. However, it is important when and where it does it. It mutates with each replication cycle, but is only able to do so if it encounters vulnerable individuals in which it can reproduce. These are people who have not been vaccinated. All the variability of the virus is practically supported by people who have not been vaccinated, ie they do not have any antibodies against it and thus allow it to develop.

What is known about Omicron and is it active in Bulgaria?

The National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases reports that it has not yet been detected in Bulgaria. Otherwise, this is another variant that we know so far has too many mutations. According to some sources, there are over 50, according to others - 52, and somewhere there is talk of 55. However, most of the mutations are known from the Delta and Alpha variants and are not new to us.

There are, of course, new ones. Many of them are localized in the so-called S-protein, ie the S-gene is affected again. This is a protein - a glycoprotein that performs the receptor function between the virus...