A new variant of novel-Coronavirus has been found in UK and South Africa which is believed to be much more contagious than the previous COVID-19 virus that spread globally bringing almost all countries on their toes. The spread of the new variant also identified as VUI–202012/01 or lineage B.1.1.7 has now caused serious concerns around the world.
To limit the spread of the mutated variant of novel Coronavirus from the UK, several countries have banned flights from/to UK. The Amid concerns over the new COVID mutant virus found in the UK, another variant has now been found, which has links to South Africa. Several countries have even banned flights from/to South Africa.
Amid the growing concerns across the world over the new mutant virus, intellectuals have raised questions whether it is really more lethal than the previous version or not.
Here's what one must know about the new Mutant COVID-19 Strain
The United Kingdom Variant
- British epidemiologists found the new mutation in COVID when they were investigating the reason for the surge of cases in the southeast part of England despite the imposed restrictions.
- The Wall Street Journal reported that the public health officials who were mulling to find out the reason for the sudden surge initially presumed that negligent behavioral patterns or a superspreader event had caused the rapid rise of cases in the area.
- On December 8 a group of scientists discovered the new variant with 23 mutations, in a test of a patient from Kent, near the centre of outbreak in late September that consequently led to the world isolating the UK. WSJ reported, the same variant was also found in a sample tested in London.
- These new mutations were found to have increased the communicability of the virus.
- Researchers said that the virus has mutated numerous times since the inception of the spread in 2019.
- The new mutated COVID strain has caused global worries specifically because of the greater number of mutations that affected the code of the amino acid responsible for producing proteins constituting the virus.
- The new variant can help the virus in infecting the people more efficiently as two of the mutations affect the spike protein of the virus that makes it easy to stick to the human cell wall and enter the body.
- The hypothesis around patient zero is that the variant must have born out of its weak immune system.
- WSJ reported, compromised and deficient immune system is mostly the best place for the virus to evolve with high mutations as it is able to survive in that environment for a longer period of time.
- As per reports in Reuters, the concerns about the new-found virus were made public on December 14. Health Secretary Matt Hancock informed the lawmakers that the new variant was accountable for 1000 cases in London and southeast England. Hancock had said, “Initial analysis suggests this variant is growing faster than the existing variants."
The South Africa Variant
- The South African government on December 18 had said that the spread of a new variant of the virus, called SARS-CoV2, a lineage with multiple spike mutations may be driving new infections.
- The government also reported that the new muted virus has spread faster than other variants, with smaller amounts of this strain needed to infect people.
- The variant has been named as 501.V2, as announced by South African Health Minister.
- As reported, two cases belonging to this new category have been detected in the United Kingdom. Both of them have come in contact of those who travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks.
- South Africa had detected the mutation earlier. However, it reported last week that scientists have found a new genetic mutation which might be responsible for the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in South Africa.
- The new variant was discovered through routine surveillance by the laboratories in South Africa. Initially, the variant was confined to coastal regions, but has now entered inland.
- The South African variant is more transmissible than the UK variant as this variant has mutated further than the UK variant. informed British health secretary.
- Younger people with no co-morbidities are being infected by the new variant. Clinicians in South Africa have been providing anecdotal evidence of a shift in the clinical epidemiological picture. As reported, they are seeing a larger proportion of younger patients with no co-morbidities presenting with critical illness.
- The South African variant may allow the virus to better bind to and enter cells than previous variants, which is why transmission rate is higher, scientists told The Guardian.
- South Africa reported a sudden spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in January. the new variant is believed to be the reason behind.
The new mutant COVID-19 strain has caused global worries at a time when the vaccines are being rolled out for emergency use in many parts of the world as scientists say that the nature and number of mutations are unprecedented.