New Coronavirus Strain 'D614G' Detected in Malaysia, Said To Be 'Ten Times' Deadlier

Director General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah stressed that people ought to be more careful because the new coronavirus strain 'D614G' is a mutation that infect other individuals 10 times more and spreads more easily by an individual 'super spreader'.

Representational Picture (AFP)

Malaysia Coronavirus Update: In a shocking news that allays fear bigger than novel coronavirus, a new strain of the virus called 'D614G' earlier seen in other parts of Europe, and deemed ten times more infectious, has been detected in Malaysia. The news about the new strain has been shared by Director General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah in a Facebook post on Saturday. Also Read: Fresh Covid-19 Outbreak In New Zealand After Several Virus-Free Months, PM Jacinda Ardern Postpones Election What led to the detection of D614G? According to the Facebook post, the mutation has been spotted in three cases from a cluster that apparently started when a restaurant owner and permanent resident returned to the country from India. The man had breached the mandatory 14-day home quarantine and since then sentenced to five months in prison and fined, as per the Bloomberg report. The same strain was detected in another cluster case that was caused by residents coming back from Philippines. The strain could mean that existing studies on vaccines may be incomplete or ineffective against the mutation, according to Abdullah. "So far these two clusters are controlled due to the fast-paced public health control actions on the field. This test is an early test. There are several follow-up tests in progress for many other cases. These include index cases for both these clusters," Abdullah said. Abdullah stressed that people ought to be more aware and careful because the mutation infects other individuals 10 times more and spreads more easily by an individual 'super spreader'.

The latest coronavirus situation is found still controlled and KKM and other agencies are still working to stem the infection. "Community cooperation is much needed so that we can decide the contagion of COVID-19 infection from any kind of mutation," he added.

Will it impact the vaccination trials? As per the report in Bloomberg, this mutation is a predominant variant in Europe and US. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated there is no evidence that the strain leads to a severe disease. According to a paper in 'Cell Press' the mutation may not have a major impact on the efficacy of vaccines that are currently being developed.

Even as Malaysia has tried to contain a resurgence of the virus,  the number of new cases found in the country seems to be picking up. So far, 26 new cases were confirmed till Saturday, the most since July 28, and reported 25 cases on Sunday.