Coronavirus mutant strains - occurred in immunocompromised human? Dr. Fauci

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

コロナウイルス変異株、免疫不全の人間に発生か　ファウチ氏

2021.08.05 Thu posted at 18:31 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 米国のファウチ大統領首席医療顧問（米国立アレルギー感染症研究所長）は５日までに、新型コロナウイルスの変異株に触れ、免疫不全の状態にある人間の体内で発生した可能性が強いとの見方を示した。

米戦略国際問題研究所（ＣＳＩＳ）が主催した討論会で述べた。免疫抑制の状態にある人間が数週間あるいは数カ月の間、新型コロナの感染に抵抗出来ず、ウイルスの発達あるいは変容を促す十分な時間を許したとの説は新しいわけではない。

ファウチ博士は、知られているように変異株は人間の免疫機能がウイルスにもたらす圧力の結果で出現してきたと説明。その上で変異株は免疫不全の状態にあって感染した人間に由来する可能性が高いとし、ウイルスが消滅したり、あるいはその人間が亡くなったりする前の何日間も体内にウイルスを抱え、本質的に変異株の出現につながったとみられると述べた。

この過程がアルファ型やデルタ型の変異株に生じた可能性があると受けとめていると述べた。アルファ型は昨年出現し、米国での今春の感染拡大の主流となり、デルタ型は昨年後半に確認され、現在は米国で猛威を振るう主因となっている。

ファウチ氏はウイルスの変異株は、新型コロナに対応するため将来開発される一切の薬の行方に影響を及ぼすと指摘。新たな抗ウイルス薬で新型コロナに立ち向かうと同時に、薬への耐性の発生を予期し、計画を練る必要があると主張。

野球のホームランのように一撃の効果がある薬を手にするような話ではないとし、変異株に対応出来る代替の薬を開発し続ける準備を常に心がけなければならないと説いた。

Translation

 (CNN) - Anthony Fauci, the Chief Medical Advisor (Director of the National Institute for Allergic Infectious Diseases) to US President, on the 5^th touched on the mutant strains of the new coronavirus and showed the view that it was highly possible that mutant developed in a human body that had immunodeficiency.

He said that at a debate hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The theory had that immunosuppressed human was unable to resist infection from the new corona for weeks or months, thus allowing ample time to stimulate the development or transformation of the virus, yet this idea was not new.

Dr. Fauci explained that, as was known, mutant strains emerged as a result of the pressure exerted on the virus by human immune function. On top of that, had said that the mutant strain was likely to be derived from an infected person who was immunocompromised, there the virus would either vanish, or stay in his body for days before that person died, and it seemed that this led to the emergence of mutant strains.

He said he accepted that this process could have occurred in Alpha and Delta mutants. The alpha type appeared last year and became the mainstream of infection spreading in the United States this spring, while the Delta type was confirmed in the latter half of last year and was now the main cause of the rampage in the US.

Fauci pointed out that about the mutant strains of the virus, to deal with the new corona could affect the direction of all drugs development in the future. He insisted that at the same time when we confronted the new corona with a new antiviral drug, we could expect the occurrence of drug resistance and had to develop a plan for that.

He said that he wasn't talking about getting a drug with a single-blow effect like a baseball home run, and that we should always be prepared to continue developing alternative drugs that could deal with the mutant strain.

So, it is interesting to know the theory that mutant strains emerge as a result of the pressure exerted on the virus by human’s immune function. Human and the virus are fighting each other for survival.