India is a country that has the highest spike in cases of COVID-19 infection in the world. The Indian variant of COVID-19 is said to be the cause of this rapid increase. Not only that, this variant of COVID-19 has also spread to other countries, including Indonesia.
The emergence of the COVID-19 variant from India was caused by a mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus or what we know as the Corona virus. Mutations in this virus can have an impact on the ability of the virus to spread and cause infection, as well as affect the severity of the disease.
Not only in India itself, cases of infection with the COVID-19 variant from India have also started to be found in many other countries, including Indonesia.
Variant of COVID-19 from India
The variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 from India is called the B.1.617 variant or the delta variant. This Corona virus variant was first identified in India in December 2020. This B.1.617 variant has two main mutations on the outside of the protein. spike SARS-CoV-2 virus, namely L452R and E484Q mutations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) refers to the variant B.1.617 as 'variant of interest'. This is because the COVID-19 variant from India can cause:
- Decreased ability of the body's immune system to neutralize the previous virus
- Decreased effectiveness of treatment
- Decrease in vaccine effectiveness
- Increased risk of transmission
- Increased risk of developing severe symptoms
This variant of COVID-19 from India is indeed considered to be the main cause behind the surge in COVID-19 cases in India. However, the weak implementation of health protocols is also said to be one of the triggers for the spread of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Symptoms of the COVID-19 Variant from India
As we all know, COVID-19 has several common symptoms, such as:
- Fever
- dry cough
- Dizzy
- Sore throat
- Loss of sense of smell (anosmia)
- Loss of sense of taste
- Hard to breathe
However, many sufferers of the second wave of COVID-19 in India do not show the general symptoms of COVID-19 as mentioned above.
In contrast, COVID-19 patients in India have recently shown non-specific symptoms, such as red eyes (conjunctivitis), persistent headaches, body aches, fatigue, indigestion, and hearing loss.
However, until now there is still no research that specifically mentions that these symptoms are typical symptoms of the COVID-19 variant from India.
The Ability of the COVID-19 Vaccine Against the Variant of COVID-19 from India
As previously mentioned, the B.1.617 virus which is categorized as variant of interest are more likely to be immune to currently available COVID-19 vaccines.
Even so, the WHO said that the currently available COVID-19 vaccine is expected to at least provide some protection against the various variants of the new COVID-19 virus, including variants from India.
The COVID-19 vaccine is capable of triggering a broad immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Therefore, changes or mutations in the virus should not render the vaccine completely ineffective.
So, it can be concluded that the current COVID-19 vaccine still provides benefits for slowing the spread of the disease and reducing the risk of developing severe symptoms due to the COVID-19 variant from India.
Considering that the COVID-19 variant from India has been found in Indonesia, the best way to prevent transmission is to continue to comply with the applicable health protocols, namely diligently washing hands, wearing masks when outside the house, always keeping a distance from other people, and avoiding crowds. .
In addition, vaccination is still one of the effective ways to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. So, if you have had the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, don't hesitate to undergo the vaccination.
If you still have questions regarding this COVID-19 variant from India, you can ask the doctor directly via chat in the ALODOKTER application. Through this application, you can also make an appointment with a doctor at the hospital if you need an in-person examination.
