What You Need to Know About New Coronavirus Mutants | Coronavirus Pandemic News

Almost as soon as the first vaccine against COVID-19 was approved and obtained in December 2020, UK health officials announced the discovery of a new strain of the virus.

Initial reports, based on limited early evidence, suggested that it could be more infectious. A few days later, the discovery of another variant of the coronavirus was announced in South Africa. In South Africa, more than 15,000 COVID-19 infections were recorded, the highest number in Africa at that time.

And in January, another subspecies originating from northern Amazonas was detected in Brazil.

Developed between February and March last year in Wuhan, a Chinese city, where the first known cases of COVID-19 were identified, according to Dr. Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist and senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. A variant called D641G December 2019.

“The subspecies is associated with an increase of about 20-30% infectivity and has rapidly become the predominant subspecies in the world,” Gurdasani told Al Jazeera.

“This highlights the potential for this virus to adapt.”

But let’s start from the beginning.

What is a variant?

Variants are mutations in the virus. All viruses mutate when they copy themselves to spread and prosper. Most mutations are not important, and some can actually harm the virus, while others can produce mutants that make the virus more contagious.

Further degraded, mutations are changes in the genetic material of the virus, or changes in so-called ribonucleic acid (RNA).

The virus spreads in the body by adhering to cells and invading. It then makes a copy of the RNA to help it grow. When there is a copy error, the RNA changes, which scientists call mutations.

According to Brooke Nichols, an assistant professor at Boston University School of Public Health, mutations occur much more frequently in RNA viruses because RNA “does not have the ability to” calibrate “and cannot correct mistakes made during viral replication.” He said. ..

“If you choose a mutation that allows the virus to replicate more efficiently, this can be a problem,” Nichols told Al Jazeera.

“For example, if a person has been infected before, the virus may choose a mutation that can circumvent its previous immunity or a mutation that increases the infectivity of the virus.”

How do variants affect humans?

Coronavirus disease has undergone several mutations since the onset of the pandemic.

All three variants detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil have modifications to the peplomer protein. It is part of the virus, attaches to human cells and promotes infection and spread to cells.

Scientists agree that the mutations found in the three variants make the coronavirus more infectious, but evidence that they are more likely to actually exacerbate the disease or cause death. there is no.

“The mutants don’t seem to make coronavirus disease more deadly,” Nichols said. “But variants make the virus more contagious. This can mean that more people can get infected more quickly-and thus still strain the health care system. I will. “

B.1.1.7

On December 14, UK health officials reported a new variant to the World Health Organization (WHO).

This variant, called B117, was first detected in Kent in southeast England in September. By December, the strain accounted for 60% of the new COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom, making it the most common coronavirus version in the country.

Preliminary evidence suggests that mutants can be up to 30% more lethal than previous dominant strains, but experts determine infectivity due to limited data. It states that there is not much information yet for.

Initially, the variant was reported to be up to 70% more infectious, but a recent study by the UK Public Health Service found it to be in the range of 30-50%.

Early studies appear to show that the vaccine is effective against this mutant. Last week, Novavax and Johnson & Johnson trials showed 86% and 66% effectiveness, respectively.

In late January, scientists said tests showed that the Moderna vaccine appeared to be effective against mutants.

UK stocks have been detected in more than 50 countries, including China, India and the United States.

Recently, experts have stated that this variant has mutations that are present in South African variants. E484K is believed to help the virus evade some of the immune system and antibodies.

B1351

When South Africa reaches the milestone of one million infections, medical staff will accompany COVID-19 patients in a special ward at the Arwyp Medical Center. [File: Shafiek Tassiem/Reuters]

A few days after the new variant was announced in the UK, South African officials said on December 18 that the new variant was rapidly spreading to the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal.

The B1351 mutant first appeared in the country in October and has since become a major coronavirus strain in South Africa.

This variant has also been found in 32 other countries, including the United Kingdom.

Studies have shown that this mutant is also highly contagious, with the E484K and N501Y mutations.

Recent studies have shown that some vaccines are less effective against this variant than others.

The vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford seemed to offer limited protection, UK and Swedish pharmaceutical companies Said..

Novavax said preliminary data from clinical trials showed that the vaccine was 60 percent effective. Johnson & Johnson said clinical trials conducted in South Africa showed that the vaccine was 57% effective in blocking cases of moderate to severe COVID-19. Both of these vaccines have not yet been approved by regulators.

On January 25, Moderna, whose vaccines are being rolled out worldwide, said it was developing booster shots after the vaccine was found to be less effective against South African variants. We are currently testing if the third booster shot is beneficial.

B11248

A variant of the coronavirus found in Japan in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, is already predominant in the capital Manaus, raising initial suspicion that it may be more contagious. [Marcio James/AFP]

In mid-January, another new variant was discovered in passengers arriving in Japan from Brazil.

The origin of the B11248 variant dates back to the state of Amazonas in northern Brazil, which was first detected in the capital Manaus in December.

There is also an E484K mutation.

“What we know is that we have co-mutations that are independent of both UK and South African mutants,” said Dr. Deepti Gurdasani.

“Because in the laboratory, neutralization from antibodies directed to previous mutants is associated with a significant reduction in neutralization,” she continued.

During the first wave of the virus in Brazil last year, 76 percent of the Manaus people were exposed to it.

“But we’re still seeing a huge wave of infection, and it’s not very clear at this point why it is,” Gurdasani said. “It may be because we are dealing with a new variant, which makes it more contagious and raises the threshold of herd immunity. But for at least some people, this mutant is predecessor. It may also escape the immune response to the mutant. “

The mutant was present in 51 percent of the samples taken from patients with coronavirus in December, he said. By mid-January, it appeared in 91% of the samples.

Scientists do not understand why this variant has exploded in Brazil and why it has a particularly dangerous series of mutations.

Does the vaccine work with new strains?

Mutations help the virus evade the antibody or escape recognition by the antibody.

However, the vaccine trains the immune system to attack several different parts of the virus. This means that the vaccine’s antibodies target many parts of the spike protein, so the vaccine should provide some protection even if some of the spikes are mutated.

On January 27, Pfizer said the vaccine was slightly less effective against British and South African variants.

Pfizer-Vaccines in worst-case scenarios that use mRNA technology, such as BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, can be redesigned and adjusted to better match in weeks or months, as needed, medical experts say. Stated.