The highly contagious UK variant of COVID-19 will probably become the most dominant strain in the world, according to a top molecular biologist in the UK – who warned that scientists could be forced to monitor the mutant virus for the next decade.
“[It] will sweep the world, in all likelihood, “he told BBC News on Thursday about Professor Sharon Peacock, head of the COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium, about the British strain known as B.1.1.7.
Peacock, who runs a network of public health laboratories, said the variant has already spread to 50 countries – and could change in the coming months or years.
“It simply came to our notice then [COVID-19] or it moves so as not to be virulent – causing disease – then we can stop worrying about it, ”she said. “But I think looking to the future, we will do this for years. In my opinion, we will continue to do this for 10 years. ”
The strain was first detected in Kent, south-east England, in September 2020 and has spread to 34 US states since Thursday. At least 932 Americans have been infected with the highly contagious variant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Evidence suggests that vaccines work against the strain, which is up to 70 percent more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus – but scientists fear it will evolve to become the South African strain that is believed to be more prevalent. resistant to inoculation.
Peacock is currently analyzing 30,000 positive strain cases in the UK per day, of which 10% are randomly selected for genomic sequencing, which analyzes whether the virus is mutant.
There are certain “special features” that make viral strains more transmissible, deadly or resistant to vaccination, and the agency is “looking” for these factors, she said.
Other scientists have also warned about the evolution of the virus, with an additional mutation in the British version observed in at least 21 cases.
“The number of sequences [of the UK strain] it is currently low, although increased surveillance is being carried out … There may be several cases, given how high the transmission has been. We need to continue to vaccinate and reduce transmission, “said Professor Ravi Gupta, an infectious disease expert at Cambridge University. he said last week.
Scientists around the world are closely following the new variants that have appeared in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil – and have now reached the United States.