Prof. Argirova: It takes eight days to create a vaccine – Medicines

“We are going to mobilize. Everyone should be a personal participant in this whole battle against coronavirus. We cannot allow a virus to stop our lives. We have to get up on time.”

Such a call was made by professor virologist Radka Argirova from the air of “Theme of NOVA” in March, when the infection hit the entire world. Now we will meet with her again to find out what has changed with COVID-19 in recent months and what scientists have learned about the virus.

“A lot has changed. Let’s start from the beginning. The virus itself changed first. The virus itself is not what it was at the beginning, that is, I have repeatedly said that the Wuhan variant, I will call it that, because it turned out to be really one variant of many, it no longer circulates in practice. Two other variants no longer circulate, that is why mutants have appeared “, said the president of the Bulgarian Society of Medical Virology Prof. Argirova, reports NOVA.

According to her, scientists knew that mutations would occur because it is the nature of viruses that contain RNA. However, not everyone knows exactly and enough about its virulence, pathogenicity, and other qualities.

“Now, of course, we know of one that is widespread around the world and has been coming since the beginning of March. It is everywhere. Now the one that is said to be new, practically not new, is known to exist in Europe.

Of course it may have been new to Britain, the fact is that they report it, so it is new to them. But in Brazil it was also reported in March, and we know that ”, said the virologist.

These new viruses generally have one thing in common: they are easier to transmit, easier to infect cells. This is the reason, according to Professor Argirova, why in the autumn part of the year a very serious increase in the number of newly discovered infected people began.

At the beginning of the pandemic, at a relatively rapid pace, scientists established the details of COVID-19 and were clear about the structure of the virus. “In my opinion, there is already clarity, because its genome has been completely deciphered, and since the viral genome is known, as well as all the proteins that this genome encodes, we already know which are the most important, so how to create an effective immunogen is open. Immunogen means the preparation that will participate in the vaccine “, Professor Argirova was categorical.

Nine months later, the vaccine is a fact. Immunization has started. But not a few people are suspicious of the latest weapon against the coronavirus, because the vaccine appears relatively quickly. However, this process has a scientific explanation.

Tomorrow comes the second delivery of vaccines

According to Professor Argirova, it takes eight days to create a vaccine. “The rest is a matter of production,” he said.