Is the mutated form of COVID-19 less dangerous?

The danger of mutated forms of COVID-19, such as variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, depends on several factors, including contagiousness, severity of disease, effectiveness of vaccines, and impact on treatments. There have been variants that have been both more and less dangerous in different ways.

Some variants, such as the Delta variant, have been shown to be more contagious than previous strains of the virus. This means that they spread more easily from person to person. Higher contagiousness can lead to more cases and therefore indirectly to more hospitalizations and deaths, even if the severity of the disease does not increase.

Some variants can cause more severe disease. The Delta variant has been associated with an increased risk of hospitalization in some studies. Other variants, such as Omicron, have appeared to cause less severe disease in some early studies, but this also depends on the immunity of the population (through vaccination and previous infections).

Variants can have mutations that reduce the effectiveness of vaccines. For example, the Beta and Omicron variants have mutations that can reduce neutralization by antibodies. Booster doses and modified vaccines can help increase protection against these variants.

Some mutations can reduce the effectiveness of treatments such as monoclonal antibodies. This requires adjustments to treatment protocols.

Source: https://www.who.int/en/activities/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants/

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2023-12-11 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024