What scientists have discovered so far about the variant COVID-19 virus discovered in the UK

There is growing fear of a variant of the Corona 19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) reported in the UK. Fear is contagious. The contiguous countries of Europe temporarily blocked the entry of the United Kingdom immediately, and the Korean health authorities also decided to temporarily suspend flights until the end of the year and strengthen the quarantine for those arriving from the United Kingdom.

The British government introduced a ‘phase 4’ lockdown that did not exist in the existing system, urgently closing London and the south-east of England. However, the number of confirmed patients per day (22) registered a record 36.84.

How dangerous is this variant of COVID-19? Will the developed vaccine be effective against this variant of the virus?

Now that scientists around the world have started investigating the virus, the following is a summary of what is known to date based on reports from the BBC, Reuters, Financial Times (FT), and New York Times (NYT).

Where did the COVID-19 variant come from?

This variant of the Corona 19 virus was named ‘B.1.1.7’. Scientists first confirmed the existence of the virus in October 2020. This is after the ‘UK Genomics Consortium’ analyzed the genome codes of two samples collected from London and Kent, UK, on ​​the 20th and 21st. of September.

However, the scientists of the time did not take the appearance of this variant very seriously. Above all, it is not uncommon for a variant of a virus to emerge.

Although collectively known as ‘Corona 19’, the virus that was first discovered in Wuhan, China about a year ago, is different from the virus that is currently prevalent throughout the world. The ‘D614G’, a mutation with higher infectivity than the coronavirus found in Wuhan, was discovered in Europe in February and is now found in most infected people around the world.

Scientists focused on ‘B.1.1.7’ when the virus was pointed out in the context of a sharp increase in the number of confirmed cases in south-east England in mid-December. Scientists believe that the virus is the most mutated form of the COVID-19 strain ever discovered.

In this variant of the virus, 23 mutant genes were found, of which 17 were identified as mutations related to the movement of the virus, such as infectivity. Mutations in the spike protein typically occur, which is a link when the virus enters cells in the human body.

Could not find the first index patient to develop the mutation. Therefore, it is not known if this variant originated in the UK or if it originated in another region.

How dangerous is this variant of COVID-19?

Based on the results of the model, some UK experts believe that the infectious power of ‘B.1.1.7’ is greater than that of the existing coronavirus. How much? From 40% to 70%.

The UK government said it believes the virus has raised the reproductive rate (R) by at least 0.4.

Professor Martin Heberd from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine explained: “The new ‘B.1.1.7’ appears to have a high contagious power while having all the elements that the existing virus had lethal to the human body” .

However, there is still no evidence that this variant of the virus is more deadly than the existing coronavirus. However, experts are concerned that contagion appears to have increased.

In theory, the higher the infectivity of the virus, the faster the number of confirmed cases increases and the more difficult it is to control. The death toll rises and the number of seriously ill patients rises, leading to paralysis of the medical system. It means that even if the virus’ own lethality does not increase, the damage caused by the increase in patients may increase.

Looking at what has been known so far, the discovery rate of ‘B.1.1.7’ in the newly confirmed crown 19 in the UK has risen sharply. This variant of the virus is rapidly replacing the existing corona 19 virus.

For example, in early November, 28% of new confirmed cases in London were found to have this variant. On the other hand, 62% of the confirmed cases since the end of November, three weeks later, were infected with this variant.

“It is correct to take this seriously,” said Peter Openshaw, a professor at Imperial College London, while Cambridge University professor Sean Fitzgerald said the situation was “extremely worrying.”

However, the estimate of the infectivity of ‘B.1.1.7’ is based on models and laboratory studies have not yet been performed. Some experts are questioning the UK government’s explanation, FT said. It is difficult to distinguish whether it is due to the characteristics of the virus variant itself or the behavior of people who do not comply with the quarantine rules that appear to be highly contagious. They claim that the emergence of this variant of the virus and the rapid increase in confirmed cases cannot be ruled out as a mere coincidence.

University of Nottingham professor Jonathan Ball said: “The amount of published evidence is not worrying enough to give us a clear and convincing view of whether the virus has actually made it more contagious.”

On the other hand, Professor Nick Roman from the Genomics UK Consortium, who first discovered the variant, told the BBC that “laboratory research is needed”, but “Will we wait weeks or months (before confirming the results and taking measures to contain the spread)?? ” I ask. “Probably not in the current situation.”

Variant virus, how far has it spread?

The virus has been found intensively in London and the south-east of England. Not many, but cases have also been reported in Wales and Scotland.

Excluding the UK, the countries where ‘B.1.1.7’ has been found so far are known as Denmark, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Iceland. According to quarantine authorities, it has yet to be discovered in Korea.

However, some opinions cannot rule out the possibility that this variant of the virus prevails in other countries without being identified.

The UK is considered one of the countries with the most advanced genome analysis capabilities in the world. “The UK is one of the most comprehensive genomic testing programs in the world, with genetic testing of 5-10% of all virus samples,” said Stevan Vanhuicht, director of the Belgian Institute of Health. “Few countries are better than Great Britain.”

Professor Matz Alberten from Aalborg University in Denmark said: “Few countries investigate the genomic code of viruses (like Great Britain). You can’t find it unless you look at it, ”he told FT. “It is hard to imagine that until now this has not spread throughout the world. If it had been in the UK for so long it would have spread to every country in the world. ”

Will the already developed COVID-19 vaccine be effective against a variant of the virus?

News of the emergence of a variant of the virus, sadly, came around the time corona19 vaccination began in the UK and the US So this ‘B.1.1.7’ variant is spilling cold water about human expectations for the end of Corona 19?

The pharmaceutical companies that have developed the vaccine are not very concerned about the appearance of this variant of the virus.

“Scientifically, it is very likely that the immune response of our vaccine will tackle this strain,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO of Bioentech, Germany, which developed the COVID-19 vaccine with Pfizer.

″ Our vaccine contains more than 1,270 amino acids, but only 9 have been changed (with viral mutations). In other words, 99% of (viral) proteins are the same. “

He also mentioned the unique advantages of this vaccine developed using the latest technology, ‘messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)’. Explain that the genetic material contained in the vaccine can be quickly redesigned and applied. “The advantage of mRNA technology in theory is that we can design a vaccine that responds perfectly to this new mutation.”

“Theoretically, we could have a new vaccine (to counter the mutant virus) in six weeks,” Sahin added. (Of course, given the time it takes for the regulatory authority approval process, it may take a little longer for a new vaccine that responds to the mutation to be delivered.)

AstraZeneca, which is developing a traditional vaccine, said that the protein spike structure of the virus variant did not appear to have changed significantly and that the vaccine under development is expected to be effective.

Experts explain that it takes at least a few years for the virus to mutate enough that the existing vaccine is ineffective.

“You don’t have to worry about a single terrible mutation happening and suddenly crippling all your immunity and antibodies.” Dr. Jesse Bloom, an evolutionary biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, USA.