NEW DELHI: The SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that caused the COVID-19 pandemic which crippled the world mutated 223 times, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, but added that its harmful effects have come down substantially over time.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour on Friday, he said, “When a virus gets mutated more than 100 times, its harmful effects get reduced. So far, the virus mutated 223 times.” Now, like influenza that affects people once or twice every year, “COVID is with us and it will remain,” said the Minister. “COVID sub-variants are not that deadly and there are no negative effects,” he said.
Mandaviya said health is such an issue where all stake holders and countries should come together and work. “We have seen the positive results during the pandemic when we all worked together,” he said.
The minister said India has a robust medicine production infrastructure and the world has recognised this. “We are now the producer of 70 per cent of HIV/AIDS medicines of the world. Similarly, we produce many medicines which the world considers as good,” he said.