A team of scientists from the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics in Kalyani, West Bengal, have found a biological reason for the slow spread of the mutant virus in Asia as compared to the West. As reported in a journal, a medical team has explained how higher levels of a human protein ” neutrophil elastase ” help the virus to enter the human cell, multiply and also spread faster from infected individuals. However, this protein is kept in check by the biological system, which produces another protein called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT). AAT deficiency leads to higher levels of neutrophil elastase in the cells, which in turn helps in faster spread of the virus. This deficiency is known to be much higher in Europe and America than among Asians. Many people have attributed the slow spread to the ‘herd immunity’ with no scientific evidence to validate the same. Others attribute it to the measures taken by the government. While Asians are lucky in this aspect, caution must be taken all the time.
