- A new coronavirus mutation has been discovered in South Africa, where a version called 501.V2 appears to fuel the country’s second wave of COVID-19.
- The new strain seems to be more dangerous, causing more severe diseases in younger patients who do not suffer from other medical conditions.
- Health experts believe that the new strain SARS-CoV-2 can still be defeated with current vaccines.
Like any other pathogen, the new coronavirus is constantly evolving in response to the hosts it infects. It is a mutation that allowed the virus to jump species between animals and eventually reach humans. At least, that’s what the researchers think happened to the original strain that infected the first humans. The upcoming WHO investigation in China could reveal more answers about the first days of the Wuhan outbreak.
SARS-CoV-2 continued to move thereafter, with scientists closely following those genetic changes. This is crucial because mutations can make a virus more infectious or dangerous and can prevent research into drugs and vaccines. To date, several notable strains of coronavirus have been found. The D614G mutation is thought to be responsible for the current state of the pandemic. This mutation does not make the virus more dangerous, but it has become more infectious. The D614G left China and infected most of the world, returning to Asia a few months later. Since then, other strains have been discovered, including several new versions of coronavirus that are spreading rapidly in the UK and South Africa. Now, it looks like the latter could be more dangerous of the two.
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The Cluster 5 mutation in Danish mink sent the world into a frenzy a few weeks ago. The local government has warned that the mutation could steal neutralizing antibodies that can block the virus’s spike protein. These proteins are formed when someone beats the virus after infection or through a vaccine. However, concerns about the mink mutation have disappeared from early fear and it appears that current vaccines could still work against this new strain.
A few days ago, health officials in the United Kingdom announced that a new coronavirus mutation was spreading rapidly in the south of the country. The strain showed 17 distinct genetic changes, most of which had an impact on the spike protein. One of them is called N501Y, which affects the binding pattern of spike protein receptors, according to the UK COVID-19 Genomics Consortium. The mutation does not appear to cause more serious illnesses, according to public health officials.
Now, a few days later, South African authorities have reported another SARS-CoV-2 mutation that appears to be driving the country’s second wave. South Africa is approaching one million infections, with more than 24,000 people dying from COVID-19 complications. The second wave began in mid-November, with the country registering more than 10,000 cases in a single day a few days ago. This appears to be the local peak of the second wave, but the number of cases could continue to rise.
South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced the 501.V2 mutation in the virus, reports East Africa. Unlike the UK strain, it could cause more severe diseases. The official said on Twitter that local clinicians found anecdotal evidence of the patients’ clinic presentation. They said that a higher proportion of young people develop critical illnesses without suffering from other comorbidities.
“The evidence that has been collected therefore strongly suggests that the second wave we are experiencing is driven by this new variant,” Mkhize said in a virtual briefing on Friday.
The second wave also appears to be spreading faster than the previous one, according to local officials. The South African Genomics Surveillance Network (NGS-SA) found the mutation in several provinces, mentioning between 10-20 mutations that have not been observed in other strains since September. It is unclear if the new version has appeared.
Health officials “remain convinced” that current vaccines will work against the new strain, says East Africa.