The touted “South African” version of COVID-19 was detected in Hawaii.
The State Department of Health, Division of State Laboratories (SLD) identified variant B.1.351 technically named to an O’ahu resident with no travel history.
So far, it is the first and only incident of the confirmed variant in Hawaii. However, Dr. Sarah Kemble, according to the state epidemiologist, said that following the contacts revealed positive tests in the people associated with the case, which means that it is very possible to spread in the community.
“This is worrying because B.1.351 has a mutation that makes it more transmissible from one person to another and a separate mutation that could make it less receptive to the antibodies we form when we have COVID or when we we are vaccinating, “said SLD Director Dr. Edward Desmond.
The mutation that increases transmissibility is called N501Y. The mutation that can reduce the effectiveness of antibodies is called E484K.
N501Y and E484K mutations have previously been seen in Hawai’i, but this is the first time both mutations have been found together in a single virus.
While theoretical concerns have been raised about whether vaccination will be effective against new strains, real-world data so far are reassuring, Kemble said. “A study in South Africa showed that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was effective in preventing serious diseases that require hospitalization and in preventing death even when B.1.351 was the predominant strain.”
She added that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines would also be logically effective against the South African variant from a standard scientific perspective. However, these two companies do not yet have the data that Johnson & Johnson does, as they did not test their products specifically in South Africa during the testing phases.
“There are theoretical concerns,” Kemble said, “(but) right now, the data is promising. The more people are vaccinated, the less likely you are to have a foothold. They don’t even have a chance to pose a threat. ”
Kemble went on to note that the South African variant, as well as other potentially resistant variants of antibodies and vaccines now identified in Hawaii, including one originating in Brazil, have not been shown to cause more serious diseases in those who contract them.
Beyond the South African strain, two new cases of variant B.1.1.7, also known as the British variant, have been identified in islands since the last state report. This means that a total of eight B.1.1.7 case variants have been detected so far in Hawaii.
The British variant, first detected in Hawaii in early February, has the N501Y transmissibility mutation, but not the E484K mutation. The most recent cases of B.1.1.7 involve two O’ahu residents, one who traveled to the continental United States (Las Vegas) and a family contact of that person.
The investigation of recently detected variants is underway. Close contacts were quarantined.
Research shows that community mitigation measures are effective in reducing the risk of transmitting the most aggressive variants, said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “This means that wearing masks, keeping your physical distance and washing your hands are more important than ever. The effectiveness of vaccines in preventing serious illness or death means that we should get vaccinated as soon as it is our turn. ”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines on Monday, saying people who are completely vaccinated can gather in small, private spaces without masks. Dr. Kemble explained this as part of the DOH press conference.
“However, we need to be very aware of who is at risk,” she said. “If everyone is completely vaccinated, you can have an assembly without masks.”
Kemble added, however, that if there is someone at risk of severe outcomes, social distance and wearing a mask must be respected. Regardless of the status of the vaccine, everyone should continue to follow DOH safety protocols whenever they interact in public.
SLD continues to perform weekly genomic sequencing on COVID samples across the country to detect strain variants, including strains of concern. This systemic search for variant strains is performed with the collaboration of private sector laboratories.