New mutant version of coronavirus spreads faster, but does not make people sick

“We know this new virus is more appropriate. At first glance it doesn’t look like it’s even worse,” Sapphire said.

The mutation affects the spike protein, a structure used by the virus to enter infected cells. Researchers are now ascertaining whether this affects whether the virus can be controlled by a vaccine. The current vaccines tested primarily target spike proteins, but they were made using older virus strains.

A study published in the journal Cell confirms previous work suggesting that mutations have made new variants of the virus more common. Researchers call the new mutation G614, and they show that it has almost completely replaced what was called D614, the first version to spread in Europe and America.

No impact on patient survival

“Our global tracking data shows that the spiked G614 variant spread faster than D614,” Bette Korber, theoretical biologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, wrote in their report. I will. “We interpret this as meaning that the virus is more likely to be infectious,” they added. “Interestingly, we found no evidence of the effect of G614 on disease severity.”

This may be good news, said Lawrence Young, a professor of oncology oncology at the University of Warwick in the UK who was not involved in the study.

“Current research suggests that the G614 subspecies may be more infectious, but it is less pathogenic. As the SARS-CoV-2 infection spreads, the virus becomes less pathogenic. There is hope that it will be possible,” he said in a statement.

The team tested samples from European and American patients and sequenced their genomes. They compared these genomic sequences to those that are publicly shared. By comparing these sequences, we were able to draw a map of the spread of the two forms.

“By March 1, 2020, G614 variants were rare outside Europe, but by the end of March, they had increased frequency around the world,” they wrote.

It turns out that the G614 took over when the G614 emerged, even when the D614 foam was widespread not only in places like Wales and Nottingham in England, but also in Washington.

“The increase in G614 frequency often continues well beyond the two week incubation period after a home order has been placed,” they added. There are some exceptions. California, Santa Clara, Iceland, etc. The old D614 form has never been replaced by the new G variant.

3-9 times more infectious

The new version appears to grow faster in the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, throat), which may explain why it gets through more easily, the researchers said.

However, a study of 1,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients in the UK showed that patients infected with the new version were no worse than those infected with the original strain.

David Montefiore of Duke University and colleagues tested the virus in a laboratory. “We were able to test whether the G type of the virus was more infectious than the D type,” Montefiore, director of the AIDS Vaccine Research and Development Institute, told CNN.

“All the results agreed that the G form was 3 to 9 times more infectious than the D form,” he added. “We now have evidence that partially supports what Bette saw in the analysis of sequences around the world-G foam had the advantage of compatibility in terms of infectivity. .”

Laboratory tests of the virus in action confirmed what the genetic map showed.

“These findings suggest that the new form of the virus may be more easily transmitted than the original form. Whether or not its conclusion is finally confirmed, it is already We emphasize the value of what was a good idea,” Cober said in a statement.

Other mutations often occur with the G614 mutation, but it is unclear how they might affect it. “The earliest sequence we detected, including all four mutations, was sampled in Italy on 20 February,” they wrote. “In a few days, this haplotype was sampled in many European countries.”

According to Sapphire, the G614 mutation can be neutralized by convalescent serum (a blood product taken from a person who has recovered from a coronavirus infection). Her team tested blood donated by six coronavirus survivors in San Diego.

“We wanted to see if the range of antibodies in people’s blood was as effective as neutralizing the new virus as it was the old one. That was actually a little better,” she said. ..

“It was reassuring”

The researchers were worried that if the new mutation allowed the virus to grow faster and to higher levels, more immune system effort would be needed to neutralize it. “It wasn’t in these six San Diego guns,” Sapphire said.

Of course, researchers say that more research is needed to consolidate the findings and see what those changes mean for epidemics and patients.

“Vaccines have potential consequences. We are actively investigating their possible consequences,” said Montefiore.

And of course, they’re on the lookout for other mutations. “We may have evaded the bullet with this particular mutation, but that doesn’t mean that another mutation couldn’t come on top of this mutation,” she added.

“We need to be vigilant.”