We’ve discussed antibiotic resistance here often.
It comes about because we feed animals antibiotics to improve their yield. Yet, it also gives the microbes a chance to find ways to beat the antibiotic’s actions.
Another path allowing resistance is when we are prescribed a dose of antibiotics- and we stop taking them after we feel a little better. So, now those microbes that had survived so far got their chance to figure out how to overcome the antibiotic.
Some microbes develop resistance because portions of DNA from other microbes gets passed to them as plasmids- contained little vessels that can have the needed information to fight off antibiotics- or other beneficial attributes.
Viruses aren’t much different. Except their reproduction is faster and yields more progeny than what obtains with bacteria. That’s because microbes develop new generations via binary fission- a single cell divides into two daughter cells.
And, when a cell is infected with more than one kind of virus, who knows what will be produced…
Like the new omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
It seems that this variant has incorporated genetic material from another virus- the one that causes the common cold. That is what researchers from Nference (Cambridge MA) have found. Drs. AJ Venkatakrishnan, PJ Lenahan, P Anand, R Suratekar, B. Raghunathan, MJM Niesen, and V Sundararajan have an article in press (Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 harbors a unique insertion mutation of putative viral or human genomic origin) describing how a human infected by a cold- and then exposed to SARS-CoV-2, allowed alteration of the genome. That’s how part of the genetic code from HCoV-229E found its way into a SARS-CoV-2 variant. That’s another problem when folks haven’t been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.
Not only are these unvaccinated folks susceptible to COVID-19, their biological cells allow more variation in the resultant viral explosion from their cells. Creating mutant versions that keep the pandemic raging.
As if there weren’t millions of other reasons why folks need to be vaccinated.
(While not fully developed, it seems that the omicron variant is far more contagious, but less prone to cause deathly illnesses. But that is WAY preliminary speculation.)
Today is the last day of Chanuka. May our lives be augmented by the lights of the holiday
We are in line for more variants because of our stubborn fellow citizens. We will be getting boosters like flu shots for the foreseeable future!
Dominique recently posted..Ways to Seek Peace during the Holidays
I fear your prognostication to be correct, Dominique.
My county in New York State is only 60% vaccinated, and I am not looking forward to this winter. (Guess which party predominates). One of our three hospitals nearly had to shut down elective surgeries under our Governor’s order Friday but, at the last minute, they were taken off the shutdown list.
Whew! That would have been a real disaster, Alana!
I know many that won’t get the Covid vaccines because they lost loved ones even after they received them. I don’t want to take any chances, Rich and I got the two then the booster. It reminds me of years ago, when we were told we needed vaccines, we got them. Happy Chanuka to you and your family.
Martha recently posted..Your mission should you choose to accept it….
Hmm. Folks died AFTER getting a vaccine? Were they doubly vaccinated? I find that difficult to believe, Martha. But, I’m glad you and Rich are as fully protected as possible.
As an immune-compromised person, I was living a life of social distancing before it was SOP for the world. My hope is that there is a collective “a ha” moment and folks will go get the shot.
Angel Lewis recently posted..Breathe Deeply, Then Respond
That would be a welcome blessing, Angel.
Seriously Sci-fi horror shows are less scary than the probability of the current situation.
Dr.Amrita Basu recently posted..Sustainable Small Businesses I love #Ecommerceinnovation
That’s an intersting take Dr. A!