They detect another variant of the coronavirus in the United States that could be more resistant

Scientists at the Texas A&M University Global Health Research Complex, in the United States, identified a variant of COVID-19-BV-1 that could pose a new public health challenge. Although it has only been found in one person with mild symptoms, the scientists decided they should share information about the variant with organisms and researchers around the world.

So far, cell culture based experiments published by other laboratories have shown that different neutralizing antibodies are not effective in controlling other variants with the same genetic markers as BV-1.

“At the moment we don’t know the full meaning of this variant, but has a combination of mutations that is comparable to other variants of care for international notificationSaid virologist Ben Neuman. “This variant combines genetic markers individually associated with rapid spread, severe disease and high resistance to neutralizing antibodies”.

“We have not discovered more cases of this variant”, Neuman added. “We have not grown or tested this virus in any way. This announcement is purely based on the genetic sequence analysis performed in the laboratory ”. BV-1 is related to the variant of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom (UK). The “BV” stands for “Brazos Valley,” the seven-county region of Texas where the university and the Scientist Research Center are located.

The scientists discovered the BV-1 variant in a saliva sample from a university student as part of the university’s ongoing COVID-19 testing program. The sample tested positive on March 5. It was retested and confirmed in a federally regulated laboratory at CHI St.

The student lives off campus, but is active in university organizations. He later provided a second sample that tested positive on March 25, indicating that The variant can cause a longer-lasting infection than the typical COVID-19 for adults aged 18-24. A third sample obtained on April 9 was negative and did not provide any evidence of the virus.

The student presented mild cold-like symptoms early to mid-March, which did not progress in seriousness and were completely resolved on April 2. Using the information they gathered, the scientists filed a document on BV-1 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They also deposited the BV-1 sequence data with GISAID, the Munich-based scientific initiative that collects SARS-CoV-2 sequences from around the world.

The official name of the BV-1 variant is hCoV-19 / USA / TX-GHRC-BV1-EQ4526591 / 2021. It is one of thousands of variants found by scientists around the world. Neuman said his research group will keep a close eye on more BV-1-related cases, given its potentially worrisome genetic makeup. In sample analyzes, they include asymptomatic students to find variants of concern before they cause serious illness.

“Sequencing helps provide an early warning system for new variants,” said Neuman. “While we may not yet understand the full importance of BV-1, the variant emphasizes the continued need for rigorous surveillance and genomic testing, even in young adults with no or mild symptoms.”

Consulted by Infobae, the researcher in virology Alejandra Cappozo, from the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INTA), noted: “In nature, a mutation appeared that had already been examined in the laboratory by another scientific group. Now scientists at the Global Health Research Complex at Texas A&M University in the United States have identified a variant of the COVID-19 BV-1 virus and believe it should be studied. It is good that it is better studied. If changes in the genome are found that could become important, each research group advises and investigates ”.

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