Healthcare workers administer free Covid-19 tests to people in their cars in the parking lot of the Columbus West Family Health and Wellness Center in Columbus, Ohio, on November 19, 2020.
Stephen Zenner | AFP | Getty Images
Researchers in Ohio said Wednesday they had discovered two new variants of the coronavirus that probably came from the United States – one of which quickly became the dominant strain in Columbus, Ohio, over a three-week period in late December and January.
Like the strain first detected in the UK, mutations in the US appear to make Covid-19 more contagious, but do not appear to diminish the vaccine’s effectiveness, the researchers said.
Ohio State University researchers have not yet published their full findings, but say they are following a study that is not being evaluated by colleagues. They said in a press release that the new variant has three genetic mutations “that have not been seen before together” in the coronavirus.
One of the new strains, found in a single patient in Ohio, contains a mutation identical to the variant that is now dominant in the UK, the researchers said, noting that “it probably appeared in a virus strain already present in the United States.” However, the Columbus strain, which researchers said became dominant in the city, includes “three other genetic mutations that were not previously seen together in SARS-CoV2.”
“This new Columbus strain has the same genetic backbone as the previous cases we studied, but these three mutations represent a significant evolution,” said Dr. Dan Jones, vice president of the Division of Molecular Pathology in Ohio. a statement. “We know that this change did not come from the British or South African branches of the virus.”
The researchers identified the strain that became dominant in Columbus as COH.20G / 501Y and said the same mutation may occur independently in several parts of the world in recent months.
Peter Mohler, chief executive officer of Wexner Medical Center in Ohio and co-author of the future study, said there were no data to indicate that the new strain would impact vaccine effectiveness.
“It is important not to overreact to this new variant until we get additional data,” he said in a statement. “We need to understand the impact of mutations on the transmission of the virus, the prevalence of the strain in the population and whether it has a more significant impact on human health.
Representatives of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not immediately return CNBC’s request for comment. Ohio researchers will hold a press briefing on their discovery at 11 a.m. ET.
This is breaking news. Come back here for updates.