Some people have the ability to resist infection

Have you ever wondered why some people never get Covid-19? Dr. Shiv Pillai, a professor of medicine and health science and technology at Harvard Medical School, said: Indian-born immunological and geneticist Pillai said our immune system was designed to be a bit more diverse. He said that diversity protects us as a seed.

In an exclusive interview, Pillai discusses the aftermath of a pandemic in particular. excerpt:

How long do you think Omicron will shake?

As long as I’m alive, things like this are on the market. You can only expect it to be like a common cold coronavirus. Mutants that are contagious but less pathogenic may become present.

This virus is not interested in killing anyone. The evolution of the virus is not aimed at killing. Directed to entry. To survive, you need to avoid immunity to some extent. We can expect evolution to take us to the point where it is still contagious but not so toxic.

In a sense, we are fortunate that Omicron has changed a lot. The biology has changed a little. That doesn’t mean that something bad can’t happen. A reasonable hope is that these types of viruses, such as Omicron, will prevail. It is difficult to get rid of this virus.

What are your biggest concerns about Covid-19 right now?

I’m worried that something like Delta will come back. The delta may be in a location where Omicron is not present. You may hang out. However, it still requires a human host to send it. The whole world is connected. Therefore, something can happen.

The general hope is that Omicron and other variants will take over. They soar. They decline. They will especially return to the unvaccinated population. Hopefully next time it will be a little calmer.

Omicron does not give very good immunity to Delta. It’s okay if it’s something like Omicron.

WHO has issued a warning for the BA.2 subvariant. How worried should we be?

In India it is mainly BA.2. This is a little different from BA.1. Not big. Some differences. There may be biological differences. Denmark has BA.2. There is BA.2 throughout South Asia. It was less toxic than past varieties. The peak is down. But yes, don’t assume that the virus does not cause serious illness, death or infection. It will be. But vaccination is better. With vaccines and medicines, living with the virus can help you reach a decent equilibrium without much worry.

What is the potential for more mutations or something more serious to emerge from Omicron?

It’s always possible. Is possible. You can use this form or make minor changes to get into the lungs, but not too much. That is hope.

How confident are you that you won’t see another wave like you’ve seen in the last few months?

You can be confident that it will not be as big as the Indian delta wave. It is possible that a new virus will arrive instead of the coronavirus. Maybe within 10 years, it can happen.

People were happy in India. They weren’t looking at the data. People had all sorts of things and declared victory over the coronavirus. I should have seen what was happening in South Africa and Brazil at that time. There was no reason to believe that we are superhuman. We had this broad idea that we had trained immunity.

The presence of new and dangerous variants increases the likelihood of infection in South Africa, Brazil and India. why? There are many people with tuberculosis (TB) in India. People infected with tuberculosis and HIV are at the limits of society and are not cared for. With immunodeficiency, the virus can begin to mutate further. As with any part of the world, India needs surveillance.

People in the United States live in a highly disinfected environment, yet it was the worst-damaged country.

Indeed, the United States has been hit hard. I have no doubt that the United States has managed it badly. But I’m sure India has a much higher rate. In the United States, everything is explained. Not so in India. If you look carefully at the Covid-19 deaths in India, you’ll understand that. Even in Brazil, things weren’t completely explained. But that doesn’t matter. The United States was not strong in that reaction.

Why does Omicron affect children more than its predecessors?

There are two first things here. First, Omicron is much easier to infect. In the past, children were protected to some extent. They were at home. They didn’t go out much. And the virus wasn’t as easy to spread as it is now.

What has happened now is that we have a highly contagious virus that may not be so pathogenic. However, the number of infected children has increased dramatically. There are not strong enough data to say that it is more pathogenic in children.

I suspect that many of them are related to the fact that Omicron is more contagious. As a result, more children were infected. Especially those who have not been vaccinated. Even today, children under the age of 5 are not vaccinated. Therefore, children are more likely to get infected.

Some people never get Covid-19. How would you explain this?

Every illness has a group of people who do not understand it. Even HIV, which was considered deadly. One of my colleagues here discovered this phenomenon called “elite control”. Some people get infected and they clear the virus. They do not get serious illness.

Every illness has a variety of medical conditions. I can be a carrier of hepatitis and never get hepatitis. I only have the virus. Or I can develop acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, or cirrhosis. We are all genetically altered. As far as our immune system is concerned, we do not mean the same. That diversity exists to protect us as a seed.

When a species loses its diversity, it becomes extinct. Take a cheetah as an example. Its immune system is not diverse. Those animals are becoming extinct. They are not extinct because someone hunted them. It is endangered because it cannot respond to viruses. They get cancer from viruses and viral infections.

If you are in the same household, everyone is infected, and you are caring for people, you have a genetic difference. Some people have the ability to resist infection. I may have been more careful.

Why can vaccines provide better immunity than real infections?

It is related to the work we have done. The virus destroys and incapacitates a better part of our immune system.

Vaccination has a good response. When infected, the range of reactions narrows. The narrow width means that the new variant cannot be processed. That is the reality. So I tell everyone not to rely on your infection. Post-infection vaccination makes you very strong. However, if you are not vaccinated, you will always be at a disadvantage.

How would you rate India’s reaction to a pandemic?

Initially, we took it seriously. I was in India when the pandemic broke out in March 2020. I took the last plane from India. That was when the blockade came. Perhaps there were more plans for the blockade. I’m not the fault of anyone. But I think they relaxed their vigilance after 10 months.

Now they are serious. Vaccination has been successful in India. India has great pharmaceutical companies and scientists. India has a wonderful heart. No one can be vaccinated. Education is a problem. Those who wish to be vaccinated are vaccinated early. It’s a success.

All drug approvals have been resolved. Indian companies can make the right medicines. The doctor has enough information. India can be very successful. Much better than the United States.

When I came to Delhi in March 2020, it was screened at least at the airport. People took it seriously. The country is big. it’s difficult. That’s all true. You need a strong mindset that is professional science.

In some of our previous interviews, we talked about the superiority of RNA vaccines over DNA vaccines. Can you tell me more about it?

I’m only looking at antibody levels. I’m not saying that other vaccines don’t protect. They are protecting.

People measured protection from infection. They made some direct comparisons between mRNA vaccines and some adenovirus vaccines or what you call vector vaccines. The level of protection is better with the mRNA vaccine. That is definitely the case. If you have the option, use the mRNA vaccine.

It seems better how it makes spikes and gives you an immune response. A Stanford University treatise published a few days ago compared vaccines directly. The antibody level is better with the mRNA vaccine. There is no doubt about it. Overall, the protection results are better with the mRNA vaccine.

Do you think gargling or steam inhalation can help prevent Covid 19?

No. In India, I know someone is trying to sell you nasal drops. Of course, they will protect you for a few minutes. But then it will disappear. It won’t be there forever unless you keep dropping drops in your nose every two minutes. We don’t think we will be protected.

Has India reached the stage of endemic disease?

No, it will arrive. I think the whole world has reached the stage of endemic disease. You’ll probably get there in a few weeks or so. I can’t officially call anything endemic when the peak is still down.

Tennis player Novak Djokovic said he didn’t want to take part in the tournament rather than being forced to get vaccinated.

Anyone is free to express their opinions. I don’t think he is well educated on a particular issue. I’m not well educated about other things. You ask me about the history of Serbia, I would be terrible.

Many people are poorly educated, but they are good at one thing and assume they know everything. I think you should have some humility about what you know and what you don’t know. His credibility is zero on this issue. I love his tennis. I’m a big fan. I think he’s a great comedian on the set. But I don’t think he has it here.

What did you miss the most during the pandemic?

I’m going out to eat out. Meet friends. I’m going to a big party. I am having fun with my students. All of them. There are many students who saw only with masks and screens. Students coming in have no cohort to mix, as everything was restricted at the time. Things are getting better.

I miss going back to India. I love india I haven’t come for 2 years. I came twice a year.