Dr Amir Ali Abbasi, Professor, National Center for Bioinformatics, Quaid-i-Azam University, and his team revealed the reasons for the low incidence of COVID-19 in Pakistan during the initial period of the pandemic (February-October 2020). ). Although the death rate is higher than neighboring countries and European countries, Pakistan has shown resilience. The research team conducted a detailed genetic study and analyzed 203 samples of the genome of the COVID-19 virus in Pakistan. Dr Amir said the random genetic changes caused by the virus’s adaptation had severely compromised its fitness and caused the infected person’s immune system to fight back. Dr. Amir said that these genetic changes have contributed to reducing the predictability of the virulence of the coronavirus and thereby easing the health burden. Dr. Acknowledging the complexity, he points to other factors, including the genetics of Pakistan’s population, effective health care systems, and effective prevention strategies that can affect the reduction in mortality.
The results of the three-year study were published in the prestigious Springer Nature Journal of Virology. Dr. Amir said the study is important to understand the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 and provides important insights for future pandemic preparations.
Dr Amir Ali Abbasi, Professor, National Center for Bioinformatics, Quaid-i-Azam University, and his team revealed the reasons for the low incidence of COVID-19 in Pakistan during the initial period of the pandemic (February-October 2020). ). Although the death rate is higher than neighboring countries and European countries, Pakistan has shown resilience. The research team conducted a detailed genetic study and analyzed 203 samples of the genome of the COVID-19 virus in Pakistan. Dr Amir said the random genetic changes caused by the virus’s adaptation had severely compromised its fitness and caused the infected person’s immune system to fight back. Dr. Amir said that these genetic changes have contributed to reducing the predictability of the virulence of the coronavirus and thereby easing the health burden. Dr. Acknowledging the complexity, he points to other factors, including the genetics of Pakistan’s population, effective health care systems, and effective prevention strategies that can affect the reduction in mortality.
The results of the three-year study were published in the prestigious Springer Nature Journal of Virology. Dr. Amir said the study is important to understand the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 and provides important insights for future pandemic preparations.
