A new variant of Sars-Cov-2 has been found in the UK and is reportedly “out of control” – an announcement that has raised alarms in Europe and elsewhere. Many members of the European Union suspended travel to and from Britain and imposed stricter quarantine rules.
The new variant is likely to cause 60 to 70 percent more infections than the original strain. With “great caution”, India has temporarily suspended flights to and from the UK until the end of the year. The Union government is closely monitoring the development and advised the people not to panic.
As part of the natural evolution process, RNA-based viruses undergo various changes in their genetic material. Also in these viruses, the mutation is faster since there is no proofreading mechanism. That is, when the virus replicates its copies within cells, there is no mechanism to find a faulty copy, which will likely result in a mutated version. For example, a common cold virus changes its genetic material so quickly and frequently that scientists have to create a new vaccine almost every year.
In its defense or to evade immune responses, the Sars-Cov-2 genome has also undergone multiple mutations since its origins in China, most of which are not alarming so far.
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Experts say the new strain is cause for concern, but they caution against paranoia.
Speaking to Business Standard, Dr. Rakesh Mishra, director of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), says that the new variant has changed the part of its spike protein called the receptor-binding domain and is spreading so more efficient.
“From what we know so far, the mutation is worrying many for two reasons. For one, it seems that the virus is finding the cellular receptor more quickly, therefore it has faster access to enter the interior. The other thing is the viral load in the new strain, that is, the viral particles in the infected individual is much higher, which leads to greater replication within cells and people are likely to shed more on others, “says Dr. Mishra.
A health worker collects a swab sample from a COVID suspect at Anand Vihar bus terminal in New Delhi
Although there may not be much change in symptoms and death rates remain the same, if the virus spreads more efficiently, it can lead to increased hospitalizations, straining healthcare systems.
Mutations are generally random and very difficult to predict. The milder versions emerge and disappear without anyone noticing. The most lethal mutations are noticed, only after the different properties of the virus genome are observed on a large scale. Then the scientists go back and match them by sequencing isolated samples from infected people.
Some mutations are harmful to the virus itself and disappear over time. Some of them give a selective advantage to the virus. We only know those versions, says Dr. Shahid Jameel, a leading virologist.
The new variant of the virus first appeared in the UK in September, it may have already been circulating in the country, but it is difficult to find out unless there are large-scale infections, “adds Dr Jameel. Dr Mishra He also points out that the new strain could We have entered the country in one form or another and we have to wait to see if it appears slowly.
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“We have the second highest infection count in the world. How do we know that the new strain is not spreading in the country? Forget about that, how do we find out about the other mutations that occur within the country? The strain doesn’t just come from from abroad. It can also develop independently within the country. That is certainly something we should be concerned about, “says Dr. Jameel.
It may take a few weeks to determine if the new strain is present in India. That also depends on the frequent sequencing of isolates from infected patients. So far, we are doing very less compared to western nations. For example, in England, about 10 percent of virus samples are sequenced to study the nature of the virus. The UK’s robust surveillance system may well have made it easy to find a new variant in the country.
“By the time we find the new strain in India, it may be too late. If we don’t detect the mutations quickly, we can’t move fast to block the virus. We should do more RT-PCR tests and we should sequence a higher percentage of the samples. so we can understand the evolutionary nature of the virus, “says Dr. Mishra.
“The WHO asks to sequence 1 in every 300 confirmed cases. It seems we are doing 10 times less than that. The message should be that we should increase genetic surveillance efforts in the country,” says virologist Jameel.
Experts believe that current vaccines will likely work even against the new strain of the virus.
“Vaccines that target multiple parts of the virus can remain effective even after mutations, but mRNA vaccines that target a specific part of the protein spike run the risk of losing their efficacy if there are mutations in that region. For now, although the mutation of the new strain is in the peak protein, everything indicates that the current vaccine will be almost as effective compared to most of the strains that exist. The only concern begins when the virus changes its nature even more and it becomes more lethal. ” he adds.
Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are based on mRNA technology. Both injections carry a strand of mRNA that produces virus-like protein cells. The immune system recognizes and attacks those bits, and in the event of a real infection, the response would be faster.
Dr. Jameel also believes that there will be no effect on vaccines.
“Vaccines target multiple parts of the protein itself. There is no need to worry about them. We should do more genetic surveillance. It should be a routine matter. You never know, you may discover variants that can cause serious disease.” He says. “
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