Scientists at the Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have claimed that coronavirus in India is not deadly and is getting milder with time. CCMB director Rakesh Kumar Mishra told The Daily Guardian that the virus is not that “nasty” as our immunity system is getting strengthened with the passage of time.
“The virus is becoming milder and it will become weaker than its original sense,” he said. Mishra also added that only 10% of corona-positive patients need to visit the hospitals. CCMB also informed that they have found a distinct cluster of viruses from Southeast Asia called “Clade A3i”.
The organization, which is a premier research body vigorously working on a vaccine against the disease, informed that currently it is difficult for them to come up with a vaccine or drug. Mishra said, “Vaccine is a very tricky thing and the virus is dynamic and it changes itself. The vaccine may be ready by the beginning of next year. There are more than 100 companies which are busy in making vaccines. Lakhs of trials are required before it comes to the market. Even if the vaccine comes, it will not be available for everyone.”
Meanwhile, CCMB advised against herd immunity in this country. “Herd immunity means more than 50% of the population should be affected with this virus. If something goes wrong, the country cannot afford to provide medical assistance,” a scientist working there said.
The organisation denied the claims that coronavirus was made in a lab in China and rejected conspiracies around it. “Evidence says it’s not grown in a lab. It might have come from the wet market in Wuhan of China but still it has not been identified. We cannot blame a country for this. If any new virus appears, it takes months to realise. Covid-19 is a new disease, so we cannot blame WHO or China in this regard,” it said.
