Source: NIAID-RML
Malaysia has discovered a strain of the new coronavirus that is 10 times more infected.
The mutation, previously seen in other parts of the world and named D614G, was found in at least three of the 45 cases in a cluster started by a restaurant owner returning from India and its 14-day home quarantine broke. The man has since been sentenced to five months in prison and fined. The tribe was also found in another cluster where people returned from the Philippines.
Fauci Sies New mutation may accelerate the spread of Coronavirus
The strain could mean that existing vaccine research could be incomplete or ineffective against the mutation, said Health Director General Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The mutation has become the predominant variant in Europe and the US, with the World Health Organization saying there is no evidence that the strain leads to a more serious disease. IN paper published in Cell Press said the mutation is unlikely to have a significant impact on the effectiveness of vaccines currently being developed.
“People need to be careful and take greater precautionary measures because this tribe has now been found in Malaysia,” Noor Hisham wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. “The cooperation of humans is very much needed so that together we can break the chain of infection through each mutation.”
Although Malaysia has for the most part managed to prevent a recurrence of the virus seen elsewhere in the world, the number of new cases found in the country has been recorded. The country confirmed 26 new cases on Saturday, the most since July 28, and added 25 cases on Sunday.
– With the help of Rachel Chang
(Updates with more context in fourth paragraph.)
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