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A variant of Sars-CoV-2 has spread in parts of England which, according to the British government, could be up to 70 percent more contagious. How did the mutation come about, how does it work, and is it most dangerous?
The new variant of the virus is due to a mutation. Such changes in the genetic material of viruses are quite normal and occur very frequently. So far, science has already detected around 300,000 mutations in Sars-CoV-2, as French genetic researcher Axel Kahn highlights. With the increase in the number of infected people, the probability and frequency of random mutations of the new coronavirus also increases.
The variant of the virus now in focus is distinguished in particular by a mutation under the name N501Y in the so-called Sars-CoV-2 spike protein. With this spike-shaped structure on its surface, the virus attaches itself to human cells and then invades them.
“Coronaviruses mutate all the time and therefore it is not surprising that new variants of Sars-CoV-2 appear,” sums up virus and genetics expert Julian Hiscox from the University of Liverpool. Now it is necessary to clarify if the variant of the virus “has properties that affect human health, diagnosis and vaccines”.
According to virologist Julian Tang from the British University of Leicester, the variant of the virus with the N501Y mutation appeared sporadically a few months ago, specifically in April in Brazil, in June and July in Australia and in July in the United States.
According to British scientists, the virus variant is currently causing a massive increase in corona infections in southern England and the British capital, London. Since its first appearance in mid-September in London or south-east Kent County, this variant has meanwhile become the “dominant” form of Sars-Cov-2, explained the British government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance. . He attributed the “very high increase” in hospital admissions of Covid 19 patients in December to this development.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the new variant of the virus has yet to be detected in Germany. However, an occurrence cannot be ruled out, the RKI explained.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday, apart from the cases in England, the new variant of the virus has so far been detected nine times in Denmark and once in the Netherlands and Australia. Italy reported another case in Rome on Sunday night.
According to England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, the new variant of the virus is spreading much faster than previous forms of the Covid-19 pathogen. This is indicated by a very strong increase in infections and hospital stays in London and the South East of England compared to other parts of the country, as explained by physician Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia on the scientific website “Science Media Center” . Immunologist Peter Openshaw of Imperial College London said the new variant appears to have 40 to 70 percent more transferability.
The RKI notes, however, that there could be other possible explanations for the rising number of infections in south-east England.
According to Whitty, the good news is that so far there has been no evidence that the new variant of the virus poses an increased risk of death for those infected. Currently, there is nothing to suggest that the new variant affects the effectiveness of vaccines or corona therapies. Studies to confirm this evaluation are still ongoing.
Source: AFP
