The world is one step closer to the emergence of three new strains of COVID-19, each of which shows signs of being more dangerous and harmful during an already devastating pandemic.
Scientists are closely following the new variants that have appeared in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil – and have now arrived in the United States.
Viruses constantly make copies of themselves as they spread, sometimes creating mutations that go out – and other times, evolving into others that give them an advantage.
With these changes, they could become resistant to vaccines and other treatments.
The trio is being monitored to see how easily they spread, if they are more deadly and if vaccines and proven treatments are still effective against them.
“Not every mutation is created the same,” said Mary Petrone, an infectious disease expert at Yale University. “The virus will be lucky from time to time.”
Here’s what we know about each new variant so far:
Variant of the United Kingdom
This variant – also known as B117 – was first detected after an unexpected increase in COVID-19 cases in the UK in early December.
Scientists have sounded the alarm about the new strain because it showed changes in the “peak” protein – the part of the virus that makes it infectious.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson later confirmed that these fears were correct – saying the new option appears to be at least 70% more transferable.
Initially, the strain was not thought to cause more serious illness or death.
But British officials reversed the course after new research indicated that it is linked to slightly more deaths in older adults.
The coronavirus mortality rate among 60-year-olds in the UK was about 10 to 10,000. But with the new strain, there were about 13 or 14 deaths in the same population, USA Today reported.
The newer variant also appears to be dominated by different symptoms than those associated with the original COVID-19 virus.
Patients with the strain are more likely to suffer from sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue, according to the survey, published by the UK’s Office of National Statistics.
But so far, there is no reason to panic over the available COVID-19 vaccines that do not work to protect against the UK strain.
White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said vaccines should continue to be effective, although there could be a “very small decrease” in protection.
“The pillow you have is so effective that it will not have a negative impact,” said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The South African variant
This mutation, known as the 501Y.V2 variant, first alarmed experts when it quickly took over as the dominant strain in some regions of South Africa in December.
The strain accounted for more than 90% of new cases that month in the Eastern Cape province, then spread to the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
Experts believe it is about 50 percent more contagious, which means it is more effective at penetrating human cells.
The variant has a mutation called 484, which experts fear could somehow overwhelm antibodies to infect people who have already been infected with the virus, USA Today reported.
The mutation may mean that the strain is less susceptible to antibody or plasma drugs from COVID-19 survivors, both of which help people fight the virus.
Experts are also worried about how the vaccines will work with the variant.
A small preliminary study found that Novavax vaccine was only 49.4% effective against the strain, although it is generally 90% effective against the virus, the doctor said.
Modern biotechnology company is developing a new COVID-19 vaccine booster after research showed that the vaccine’s neutralizing antibody response to the South African variant was six times weaker than with other strains.
Variant of Brazil
The Brazilian strain, known as variant P.1, was first identified in four passengers who were tested during a routine screening at Haneda Airport outside Tokyo, Japan.
Experts said the variant is likely to be more contagious than the original strain of coronavirus, although it has not been definitively proven because it has mutations similar to British and South African strains.
The strain quickly became widespread, however, in some regions of Brazil, accounting for about half of new infections in the Amazonian city of Manaus in December.
It is not clear if the variant causes more severe diseases, which would lead to more hospitalizations and deaths.
But there are already concerns that, like the South African version, it could be resistant to natural immunity – which would dampen hopes of herd immunity.
In Manaus, a 29-year-old woman who caught the virus in March became infected with the newer version in December, USA Today reported.
Fauci said experts are already looking for ways to adjust vaccines and treatments to maintain their effectiveness with new strains.
“What we will do and we will do is make preparations for the possibility … on the line, to need to modify and update the vaccines,” said Fauci.
With Post threads