Seven COVID offspring with the same mutation spotted in the US, provocative concerns among scientists

03:06 GMT 15.02.2021Get a short URL

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In recent months, several new COVID strains have emerged, especially from the UK and South Africa, making coronavirus infection more contagious and raising new concerns about the vaccine’s effectiveness and restrictions in many countries.

Scientists have discovered a number of new coronavirus lines that appear to be undergoing a similar mutation in the United States, according to a study published Sunday.

The research team identified seven lines that all gained a mutation in the same place in their genes, raising concerns about whether the mutation could affect the level of coronavirus contagion.

“Independent genomic surveillance programs based in New Mexico and Louisiana have simultaneously detected the rapid growth of many 20G infections (progeny B.1.2) that have a Q677P substitution in S [spike protein]”, said the study summary.

There is no clear evidence that the mutation could affect how COVID-19 is spread among humans, but suggests Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University Health Science Center and co-author of the new study, quoted by The New York Times, that “in clearly something is happening with this mutation ”.

“I think there is a clear signature of an evolutionary benefit,” said Dr. Kamil.

Suggestions have also been made that the mutation could affect how the virus enters human cells, although researchers have pointed out that additional experimental data are needed.

In recent months, several new strains of coronavirus have been detected worldwide, especially in the United Kingdom and South Africa, which are known to be more contagious.

Although it is not clear in the end what the new variants will have on the pandemic, Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s consumer rights watchdog, announced on Sunday that the first test system for the British version has been registered in the country.

The new technology can be used to develop reagents to detect any other SARS-CoV-2 mutations, as well as other infectious pathogens that require rapid mass testing (pandemic infections), Rospotrebnadzor said.