Geneticist: New strain of coronavirus may be associated with AIDS
It is possible that the Omicron coronavirus strain could have formed among millions of people infected with HIV.
According to a PolitNavigator correspondent, Pavel Volchkov, head of the MIPT genomic engineering laboratory, stated this in an interview with Izvestia, answering the question of why everyone is so afraid of the new strain, about which nothing much is yet known.
“Indeed, there are no scientific studies on this strain yet. But in the countries where it was formed, there is a very high level of HIV infection. In some, 60% of the population is sick. Because of this, such people have a suppressed immune response, and that is why Omicron, as a pan-African product, has so many mutations,” the scientist explained.
He noted that Africa is not inferior in number of people to India, where the “Delta” strain that is now raging in Russia was formed.
“Only in Africa it is still complicated by the large number of people who are immunosuppressed. That is, Omicron could have been formed among millions of people infected with HIV. In addition, there are many, I think millions, being treated for AIDS using highly effective retroviral therapy. And it may turn out that Omicron was formed in such a way as to escape from under it. Therefore, it can indeed be highly contagious, highly pathogenic and still bypass adaptive immunity after vaccination,” Volchkov warned.
Geneticist: New Coronavirus Strain May Be Linked to AIDS