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- André Biernath
- BBC News Brazil in São Paulo
Credit, matejmo – Getty Images
Variant B.1.1.7 has 17 mutations, some of them in the area responsible for encoding the peak, the structure that allows the coronavirus to invade the cells of the human body.
Brazil has just had the first confirmed cases of covid-19 caused by a new variant of the coronavirus.
The B.1.1.7 strain was first detected in the UK and is already circulating in 31 other countries. Scientists suspect that it may be more transmissible than previous versions.
The two Brazilian cases were identified by Dasa, a diagnostic medicine company, which has already reported the discovery to health surveillance and the Adolfo Lutz Institute in São Paulo.
But what does this news mean in practice? Does the arrival of the new variant change in any way the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of the disease? What about vaccines? Do they protect against this strain?
Questions without answer
As far as is known, variant B.1.1.7 appeared in the UK between late summer and early autumn in the Northern Hemisphere (around August and September). The first reports of its existence were published on September 20.
This new version attracted attention by presenting 17 mutations, some of them in gene sequences that encode spike proteins, the structure that is found on the surface and allows the virus to invade human cells.
Another observation that worried the experts was the speed with which the variant spread to some regions of the United Kingdom: in London, at the beginning of December, for example, 60% of the new cases of covid-19 detected were caused By B.1.1. 7.
This raised the suspicion that this coronavirus would have a faster and more efficient transmission.
This information was enough to increase restrictions on the movement of people in cities like London. In parallel, dozens of countries have begun to ban flights from the United Kingdom.
Arrival in Brazil
The study that detected the first two cases of B.1.1.7 in the country analyzed 400 saliva samples using an RT-PCR test that looks for three different genetic information of the coronavirus.
One of the targets of this method is protein S, which is responsible for encoding the peak on the viral surface.
“In England, professionals began to realize that the RT-PCR of many patients was finding two targets, but giving negative results for protein S. As much as the two confirmations were already enough to close the diagnosis of covid-19 , raised the suspicion that there were mutations in the genes that encode the beak ”, contextualizes virologist José Eduardo Levi, Dasa research and development coordinator.
The Brazilian work, which was supported by the Institute of Tropical Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP), reviewed these 400 samples and found two with the same pattern of results: two positive genetic targets and a negative protein S gene. .
“On Monday (12/29) we identified the two cases. On Tuesday we prepare the material. On Wednesday night we already sequenced and confirmed that they really came from this British lineage ”, explains Levi.
The specialist reports that he managed to contact one of the patients. “He confirmed to me that he was with people who had just arrived in Brazil after a trip to the UK.”
What changes in practice?
In the midst of so many uncertainties, the word is calm.
“Ultimately, the appearance of new variants is not surprising and does not change at all what we must do to protect ourselves”, sums up virologist Paulo Eduardo Brandão, professor at USP’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics.
For now, the prevention recommendations remain exactly the same: maintain social distance, wear a mask when leaving the house, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or gel alcohol and always leave rooms ventilated and with good air circulation. .
Test changes?
When it comes to diagnosis, the concern is a bit higher. As already mentioned, RT-PCR tests detect certain genetic information specific to the coronavirus.
If the pathogen undergoes major mutations and begins to circulate with high frequency in the population, there is a possibility that some tests will fail more frequently.
“It may be that more false negatives appear when the patient has the infection, but the test does not detect it”, explains Brandão.
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Wearing masks, keeping a distance from other people and washing your hands often remain the main preventive measures, even with the new variant.
To prevent this from happening, laboratories must monitor and, if necessary, make adjustments to their equipment, supplies, and materials.
Dasa itself, in association with the USP Institute of Tropical Medicine, is conducting a study with this new variant to evaluate the efficiency of the diagnostic tests that are currently used.
Other repercussions
You cannot be sure yet if people who had COVID-19 before and recovered are immune to B.1.1.7. New papers need to evaluate this issue in greater depth.
“In terms of reinfection, we don’t know anything yet. The UK can probably see something about it in the next few weeks as most of the cases are there,” Levi adds.
As for the disease itself, the new variant does not appear to be related to more severe conditions, longer hospitalization, or higher mortality, as has been observed so far.
What about vaccines?
Another big question that pops up on everyone’s head concerns the efficacy of immunizers that have already been approved or are in the final stage of testing against the new strain. Are these vaccines able to protect even from this new strain?
“Until now, the variants do not seem to have the ability to escape vaccination strategies,” Brandão says.
Levi points out that changes in the virus’s protein S can interfere with the effectiveness of immunizers, so it is important that authorities monitor this aspect.
“The good news is that, although there is a possible loss of efficacy, the already approved immunizers use very modern technologies, which can be adjusted as needed.”
Credit, Tang Ming Tung – Getty Images
It is not yet known whether the most advanced vaccines or those already approved in an emergency are affected or lose effectiveness with the new variant.
Many research groups work precisely to detect these genetic changes in the virus and to anticipate possible problems. For now, what has been found does not appear to question the effectiveness of the more advanced vaccines.
In addition to the UK variant, there are two others that are more closely followed by experts: B.1.351, observed in South Africa, and B.1.207, in Nigeria.
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