The leading scientist behind the AstraZeneca vaccine expects Covid-19 to recede into the same category as other coronaviruses and cause symptoms no worse than a common cold.
Dame Sarah Gilbert was speaking at a webinar hosted by the Royal Society of Medicine on Wednesday and said there was not an enormous amount of concern about future variants of the virus.
The virologist said the spike protein targeted by vaccines was limited in its ability to mutate to avoid immunity that could potentially make vaccines less effective.
“There aren’t very many places for the viruses to go to have something that will evade immunity but still be a really infective virus,” she said.
“I don’t think there’s an enormous amount of concern that we’re suddenly going to see a switch to something that evades existing immunity.
“What tends to happen over time is there’s just a slow drift, that’s what happens with flu viruses.”
For the virus to completely mutate, its spike protein must interact with the receptor on the surface of the human cell so it can get inside.
If the virus changes its spike protein too much it is unable to interact with the cell’s Ace2 receptor, making it impenetrable.
Small changes to the virus over time is a more likely scenario, that will enable virologists and vaccine manufacturers to adapt and react to those changes, similarly to the way the annual flu vaccine is developed.
Earlier this month, Ms Gilbert said the developing world where vaccines are scarce should be the priority of distribution of supplies of injections, rather than booster campaigns.
The Oxford University professor said immunity in those already given the Pfizer and AstraZeneca doses was holding up well.
Vaccinations for flu season begin in Dubai - in pictures
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
