New variants of coronavirus worldwide could disrupt progress in the fight against the pandemic.
In recent weeks, a number of new strains have been found, including in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.
Scientists warn that these new variants could easily reinfect people who have survived COVID-19, because there is a possible resistance against antibodies, which prevents the immune system’s response to the first infection.
Moreover, they warn that variants could force researchers to update their vaccines often to the point where it becomes like the flu with a vaccine needed each season.
The new coronavirus strains can bypass the immune response that COVID-19 survivors have developed and allow for easier reinfection. Pictured: ICU Medical Director Dr. Thomas Yadegar checks vital signs for Dr. Neil Hecht and his wife Mindy Cross (center) at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, California, January 3
Vaccines may also need to be updated to target the observed mutations on the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter and infect cells. Pictured: A man receives a dose of Moderna coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination site in the Bronx, New York, January 10
Dr Nuno Faria, a virologist at Imperial College London and an associate professor at Oxford University, told Science Magazine that Manaus, Brazil, is a perfect case study of how variants can reverse progress.
In December 2020, he co-authored a paper that estimates that 75% of the city’s population was infected with the virus, enough for the immunity of the herd.
However, at about the same time, cases of COVID-19 began to increase again and hospital beds were filled.
“It was hard to reconcile these two things,” Faria told the magazine.
Looking at the samples, he discovered that a new variant had developed that had spread to the city.
Of the 31 samples collected in mid-December, 13 had the new line called P.1 and appeared to bypass the immune response triggered by the virus that had infected humans earlier this year.
Of course, P.1 is not the only option. Several have appeared around the globe, probably none more notable than B 1.1.7., First identified in the United Kingdom.
B 1.1.7., Which is thought to be up to 70 percent more communicable than other variants, has infected nearly 100 people in 18 states.
And last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report saying it could become the most widespread strain in the country by March.
Another variant, called 501Y.V2, was first detected in South Africa and spread to several other nations, but not the United States.
B 1.1.7., Which is thought to be up to 70 percent more communicable than other variants, has infected nearly 100 people in 18 U.S. states, along with some variants of origin.
A pre-printed study found that the South African variant had mutations in the spike protein, which the virus uses to infect human cells, which reduced its potency in convalescent plasma by 10 times.
Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is transferred to patients with COVID-19 in the hope that they will develop the antibodies needed to fight the virus.
The study’s author, Jesse Bloom, an evolutionary biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, noted for the journal Science that this necessarily means that people’s natural immunity has dropped 10 times if infected with a new mutation.
He adds that Brazil’s variant, P.1, is worrying because the mutations are similar and increase the number of cases in areas that are believed to have a high immunity threshold.
“Every time you see the same mutations that appear and begin to spread several times in different viral strains around the world, this is strong proof that there are some evolutionary benefits to these mutations,” Bloom told Science Magazine.
“I would expect these viruses to have some advantage when a large part of the population has immunity.”
There is currently no evidence that any of the variants are resistant to Pfizer of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
However, the fact that new mutations continue to occur is worrying
“The not-so-good news is that the rapid evolution of these variants suggests that if the virus is likely to develop into a vaccine-resistant phenotype, this may happen sooner than we like,” said Philip Krause, chair of the WHO Group. work for COVID-19 vaccines, Science Magazine said.
There is a sense of urgency to vaccinate people as soon as possible to deal with the most common strains right now.
If necessary, vaccines could be easily reformulated to respond to various spike protein mutations.
This means that they should probably go through a closer scrutiny of the Food and Drug Administration before they are authorized.
“To be clear: these are downstream considerations,” Krause told Science Magazine.
“The public should not believe that this is imminent and that new vaccines will be needed.”