Scientists in the UK and elsewhere are reporting the discovery of new, potentially important mutations found in local strains of the coronavirus. These strains can be a real added danger to humans, with early research suggesting that they are more transmissible than the classic version. And while much remains to be understood, there are some concerns that they may be less vulnerable to the vaccines that have been developed so far.
News about mutations it appeared in early December. Scientists in the UK, conducting routine genetic surveillance of viral strains taken from patients in the country, have identified a variant of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that is beginning to appear much more in the south-east of England. Last week, several other countries reported finding strains with some of the same mutations as the British variant, including the Netherlands and South Africa. This week, some countries did has announced a new round of stricter travel restrictions to and from the UK, hoping to reduce its spread.
virus move always. Most of the time, these mutations do not change the way a disease-causing virus spreads or interacts with humans. But sometimes I do. At the beginning of the pandemic, a mutation called D614G became widespread and eventually universal in coronavirus strains. It is now believed that the mutation helped the virus become more transmissible than it was during the first outbreaks in China. However, by the time this mutation became dominant, the pandemic was already well underway – so it didn’t really change our situation. It was also not linked to a more severe disease.
There are scientists who remain skeptical that the mutations found in the UK version, known as B.1.1.7, are truly relevant. It is possible that these mutations are simply a coincidence – “lucky” genetic changes related to virus strains that would spread widely, regardless. But other experts are less calm. Last Friday, scientists from the Advisory Group on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats (NERVTAG), a group appointed by the British government, meeting to discuss the new strain. They concluded, with moderate confidence, that B.1.1.7 has a “substantial increase in transmissibility compared to other variants”. Since then, they’ve done it become and more certain of their conclusion.
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An important reason why variant B.1.1.7 is worrying is that it carries multiple mutations that could improve the virus’s ability to infect humans. It is said that B.1.1.7 has at least 17 possible relevant mutations of its peak protein, which the virus uses to enter our cells. Any mutation may not visibly change the relationship of the virus to humans, but enough of the right ones might. They could even help these strains, in theory, escape the immune response generated by the vaccines we developed against coronavirus, according to Jason McLellan, a molecular biologist at the University of Texas at Austin. McLellan and his team studied coronaviruses before this pandemic, and their work did contributor to the development of the covid-19 vaccine authorized by Moderna, as well as to several developing antiviral treatments.
A single point mutation would probably not affect a vaccine as much, because the vaccine generates what is called a polyclonal response, which means that many different antibodies target different parts of the spike protein. In general, it can be difficult for a viral strain to get rid of so many antibodies targeting the tip with a single mutation, “McLellan told Gizmodo by telephone.
However, he noted, variant B.1.1.7 appears to have several mutations that could be relevant for vaccines or other treatments. In particular, there are several genetic bits that help model the N-terminal domain of the spike protein that have been deleted in these strains. The N-terminal domain is one key area that antibodies against the coronavirus target and these changes may affect how well they recognize and neutralize vaccine-ready antibodies.
“So I think there’s a certain concern,” he said. “I don’t know to what extent it could affect the effectiveness of a vaccine, but I’m sure it will be tested in the coming weeks.”
One way to test the effectiveness of a vaccine against new strains is to collect antibodies from the blood of people who have already been vaccinated. Their response to the new variants could then be compared to their response to strains collected earlier in the pandemic. If they feel worse than the newer version, then this is a sign of trouble.
It is worth noting that some experts are less concerned about these mutations and their potential to significantly affect our efforts to end the pandemic, at least for now.
“SARS-CoV-2 is moving at a much slower pace than the flu,” WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said in a press briefing on Monday. “And so far, even though we have seen a number of changes and a number of mutations, none have had a significant impact on the susceptibility of the virus to any of the currently used therapies, drugs or vaccines in development, and it is hoped that this that will continue to be the case. “
Even if this variant is medically important, this does not mean that it is unstoppable. Viruses and other pathogens evolve over time to adapt to our immune system or the weapons we develop against them, but we can adapt right back. Vaccines can be adjusted on the fly to better match the germs they target, even if they are visibly mutant – something that is done every year for the flu. And whatever happens with B.1.1.7, scientists will have to take into account strains that can get rid of a vaccine for the foreseeable future.
“I would be optimistic that these mutations will not have a major impact on vaccine efficacy, but they could have some impact,” McLellan said. “And really, what we need to know is the magnitude of the impact.”
For now, the situation on the ground will not change much. Coronavirus continues to spread widely and makes people sick everywhere, and vaccines will not make huge strides in slowing the pandemic until at least early next year. If you are understood to be concerned about these mutations, then this is all the more a reason to remain vigilant and reduce your risk of catching and spreading covid-19 to others. Simply put, the fewer opportunities we have to become infected with the coronavirus, the less threatened both new and old versions will be.