Rita Mu, Author at ChildFund Australia

Just like bacteria or animals, viruses grow and evolve to survive. The influenza virus is known to mutate, which is why we require new vaccines annually to protect vulnerable populations. More recently we have seen the impact virus mutations can have on infectious disease response with the emergence of several new COVID-19 variants. This is why public health and outbreak management strategies continue to evolve in response.

In light of the continued development of the COVID-19 pandemic around the globe, and emergence of new strains, we look at how and why viruses mutate.

What is a virus?

A virus is a small infectious agent that can only replicate inside the living cells of an organism. A virus cannot reproduce outside its host, and unlike bacteria, viruses cannot live or grow independently in the environment. Viruses are not considered alive because they cannot metabolise like other living things. They must invade the cellular machinery of a host cell to produce copies of themselves.

Viruses cause diseases by invading healthy cells and using them for their own purposes.

How do viruses spread?

There are many ways viruses can spread and they include:

Person-to-person transmission

Humans are social creatures, and behaviours such as hugging, hand-shaking and kissing can transmit viruses. While some viruses are spread through direct physical contact , other viruses can also be transmitted through droplets resulting from a person sneezing or coughing.

Animal-to-human transmission

Diseases that spread from an animal to a human are known as zoonoses.

While some animals may show no symptoms at all, they can serve as hosts until transmission occurs with humans who can then become sick. Often these are new diseases to humans who haven’t yet developed a natural defence against them, and can result in severe illness.

Airborne transmission

You can get the flu by being in contact with tiny droplets in the air created from infected people speaking or breathing.

What do we mean by virus “mutation” or “variants”?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the genetic material of a virus can change when it replicates. This change is known as a “mutation” and once a virus has one or several mutations, it becomes a “variant” of the original virus.

As viruses circulate around a community, the more they can mutate and change. As a result of this community transmission, the virus variant may better adapt to the environment than the original virus. This is known as “virus evolution.”When a virus mutates, its transmissibility or severity can change The COVID-19 Delta variant is more contagious than previous COVID-19 strains, and is a prime example of “virus evolution” in the community.

How to manage or handle virus mutations?

The best way to protect yourself from viruses like COVID-19 and influenza is to practise good hygiene and social distancing, and wear a mask in public. Hand washing with soap and sanitising items are just some of the simple things you can do daily.

It is also advisable to follow the directions and health advice of your professional governing body and get vaccinated. The importance of vaccines cannot be overstated. They have saved countless lives and continue to do so every day across the globe.
If you are concerned about some of the misinformation circulating about COVID-19 vaccinations, you can read our myth-busting article COVID-19 vaccine myths: fact vs fiction.

What impact do the new variants, such as the Delta COVID-19 strain have?

As the COVID-19 virus continues to mutate, many are left wondering what’s next?

The WHO confirms that the COVID-19 vaccines either in development or currently being administered worldwide, are expected to provide a good degree of protection from the new variants.

Despite the varying mutations of COVID-19, vaccines are still an effective means to help fight and reduce the severity of the virus.

How you can help fight COVID-19 around the world

The global health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be underestimated.. Impacts such as healthcare facilities becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, school and business closures, and social and travel restrictions, have been devastating for many developing communities around the globe.

You can help provide much needed support for vulnerable children and families around the world as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold. Donate now to ChildFund Australia’s COVID-19 crisis appeal

Colleagues at a Sydney council are donating part of their pay to support children in need overseas.

The group of 20 staff members at the City of Canterbury Bankstown in Sydney’s south-west are sponsoring five children in developing countries such as the Philippines, Honduras and Cambodia, through ChildFund Australia.

Council Team Leader of Environmental Protection and Compliance, Paul Choueiri, who helped create the group 18 years ago, says the number of staff supporters has grown significantly since the group was formed in 2003.

There were just three colleagues, including Paul, at the beginning. “It was a personal thing for all of us to give back to people who need it,” Paul says. “We recognised how lucky we were to be in a country like Australia.”

After researching and calling several different charities, the group settled on ChildFund Australia. “The amount of money getting to the children who needed it was a big thing for us,” Paul says. “We decided to go with ChildFund because they were upfront about how much goes towards the child and their community, and how much goes towards administration.”

It made sense to sponsor as a group rather than individually, says Paul. “The more people who sponsor together, the more children you can help,” he says. “As a group, the sky’s the limit. If I were to do this myself, I could probably only sponsor one or two children.”

Paul’s colleague Denise Theore, also one of the original members of the sponsor group at the City of Canterbury Bankstown, says the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need in developing countries. “With the COVID-19 situation overseas, it’s now more important than ever that we support these children and anyone else we can support,” Denise says. “We’re lucky here. It’s very sad to see what is going on in other areas of the world.”

Paul and Denise have been part of a group of child sponsors at City of Canterbury Bankstown council for more than 18 years. The group has grown from three to 20 members, and today sponsor five children in developing communities overseas.

Giving back to the community and helping people who are less fortunate has always been an important part of both Paul and Denise’s lives.

Paul regularly donates to charity and says he came to understand the importance of gratitude early on in his life.

“I try to help wherever I can,” he says. “My parents came to Australia from a war-torn country in the ’70s. They struggled with the English language and did the work that no one else wanted to do. They did it and pulled through; I learnt about the value of hard work and having an appreciation for a place like Australia and not forgetting that many people overseas are worse off.”

For Denise, helping others runs in in her family. “My father and sisters have sponsored children,” she says. “We’ve always tried to help and support people who are in need. Hopefully my children will continue as sponsors after I’ve gone.”

Paul and Denise co-ordinate the council group, writing letters and cards on behalf of the other members to the children they sponsor, and making sure that any updates they get in return are shared with the group.

A couple of times a year Paul and Denise will send out an email to rally more colleagues to join.

“We have around 1500 staff at the City of Canterbury Bankstown,” Paul says. “Even if every second person contributed a small donation every week, that’s a lot of children we could be helping.

“I hope we can continue to grow and be able to support more children.”

Paul says the positive impact a group of sponsors can have in the world outweighs the effort and time that goes into organising and managing such a group. He is encouraging others to start similar initiatives in their workplace.

“The major benefit of sponsoring as a group is where you can take it,” he says. “You just need one person to start; someone who will take on the extra little jobs: writing letters, scanning, photocopying, and emailing. It’s not a lot, but it’s about someone being bothered.

“If everyone who was better off did something for those people who were worse off, we could change so many lives.”

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