Prof. Dr. Amir Ali Abbasi and his team at Quaid-I-Azam University’s National Center for Bioinformatics have revealed the reasons behind the lower infectivity rate of COVID-19 in Pakistan in the initial phase of the pandemic (February to October 2020). Although neighboring countries and European nations face higher mortality rates, Pakistan has shown resilience. The research team conducted detailed genetic research and analyzed 203 samples of the genome of the COVID-19 virus in Pakistan. Dr. Amir revealed that random genetic changes induced by the adaptability of the virus significantly compromised its fitness, causing it to fight against the immune systems of infected individuals. Dr. Amir suggested that these genetic changes contributed to reducing the estimated virulence of the coronavirus, thereby easing the health burden. Dr. Acknowledging the complexity, Amir highlighted other factors, including the genetics of Pakistan’s population, efficient health care systems and effective blocking strategies, that potentially influence the reduced mortality rate.
The results of the three-year study are published in the prestigious Virology Journal from Springer Nature. Dr. Amir emphasized the importance of the study in understanding the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 and provided crucial insights for future pandemic preparedness.
