One argument of those who oppose the COVID-19 vaccines is that the vaccinated cause mutations of the virus and become spreaders of new variants. Science does not support this. The opposite is true.
One of the major setbacks we’re encountering in the fight against COVID-19 is the rise of new variants. One particular variant, Delta, has shown to be more contagious than the original we first met in early 2020s and is driving the rise of new cases worldwide.
Variants develop from mutations. Mutations are errors in the genetic code. When a virus replicates, errors can happen and these can result in various ways.
Some mutations can weaken a virus and make it less viable. We don’t see much of them because they don’t thrive. They eventually die and disappear.
Other mutations don’t affect the behavior of a virus but may have some physical changes.
The successful mutations include those that allow the virus to be more transmissible, remain undetected longer, and keep the host alive longer. Being more transmissible allows it to be passed on from one person to another in a shorter period of time. Being difficult to detect delays intervention to kill it or prevent it from spreading. Keeping its host alive longer or even asymptomatic provides more opportunities to be transmitted as the host keeps going about his/her usual daily activities.
These mutations happen during the critical stage of viral replication, when copies of the genetic code of the virus are being made. This is the window where alterations in the viral genes occur.
Given the same variant, the vaccinated will have lower viral load than the unvaccinated. Lower viral load means there will be less viruses replicating, less error happening, less chances of any mutation. Mutated variants can also be neutralized by the hosts’ antibodies boosted by the COVID-19 vaccines.
On the other hand, the unvaccinated will be susceptible to any new variant that their immune systems haven’t encountered yet. Their defenses will attack the viruses inefficiently or inadequately, an inherent weakness of our immune system during most first encounters with a new pathogen. However, there will be enough disruption in the replication process of the virus. Errors in making copies of the genetic code become almost certain. This can also happen in the vaccinated. The major differences are the viral load. and the primed antibodies. The unvaccinated have a much higher load and have no antibodies familiar with the virus. These translate to more viruses replicating, more occurrences of mutations, more chances of viruses surviving, and a higher likelihood of transmitting the mutated variants to other susceptible individuals.
COVID-19 vaccines do not produce SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19). The most the gene-based vaccines instruct your cells to do is to make spike proteins. Spike proteins don’t turn to whole viruses, no more than a slab of steak turning into a live cow. Viruses need their entire component complex to be able to escape the body. It’s simply biologically impossible for vaccines to cause shedding of SARS-CoV-2. The vaccinated do not spread mutated variants. The opposite is true. The unvaccinated who get infected for the first time are the breeding grounds for new variants. They are the spreaders.
Vaccinated or not, stay at home and isolate if you have symptoms or exposure, for your sake and those of the people around you.
Stay safe, everyone.
=======
For FREE ONLINE MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS and other SERVICES
Comments