New Coronavirus Strain In Britain: What’s Currently Known
It has been a rough weekend in Britain, as
on Saturday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson instituted the strictest
coronavirus restrictions seen in the country since the initial lockdown
in March. Holiday gatherings of more than one household were banned, and
all non-essential shops closed throughout southeast England and Greater
London. The cause for these measures is a new Covid-19 mutation that is
spreading through the United Kingdom with an alarming speed, to the
extent that Italy, France, Germany, and several other European countries
placed a temporary travel ban on the UK.
While scientists don’t expect the virus
strain to be resistant to the vaccines, they are still gathering
information and learning more about this new mutation. Find out below
what is currently known about this concerning development.
How is this COVID strain different?
This specific variation of Covid-19 dubbed 'VUI – 202012/01' was first
identified in the UK in mid-September according to the World Health
Organization. Its mutations have occurred in the genetic material that
controls the spike protein - this is the key coronaviruses use to
penetrate host cells and cause infection. According to the UK’s chief
scientific adviser Patrick Vallance, there are 23 changes in the virus’s
genetic material, an unusually large number.
An empty Piccadilly Circus, London
These mutations seem to help the new strain to spread more quickly, in
fact, British officials estimated that 'VUI – 202012/01' is as much as
70 percent more transmissible. This number is based on modeling and has
not yet been confirmed in lab experiments. There is no evidence to
suggest the strain causes a more severe infection or leads to a higher
fatality rate. However, faster transmission does mean more cases and
more pressure on hospitals.
Are coronavirus mutations common?
In general, it is not unusual for viruses to pick up small genetic
changes and mutate as they move through a host population. “Viruses that
encode their genome in RNA, such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, and influenza,
tend to pick up mutations quickly as they are copied inside their hosts
because enzymes that copy RNA are prone to making errors,” explained
Nature writer Ewen Callaway.
Scientists have been tracking minor changes in the genetic code of
COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. At least 1.000 variants
have been detected so far, but the changes in the spike protein make the
specific strain found in southeast England the first to make the novel
coronavirus more infectious.
How will the vaccine rollout be impacted by
the new strain?
According to Vallance, this new strain will not affect the vaccination
process that has already begun earlier this month, as the strain is not
resistant to the vaccine. “Our working assumption from all the
scientists is that the vaccine response should be adequate for this
virus,” he said in a briefing on Sunday.
All three leading vaccines develop an immune response against the
existing spike. Vaccines train the immune system to attack several
different parts of the virus, so even though part of the virus has
mutated, the vaccines should still be effective. However,
microbiologists who spoke with NBC News shared concerns that although
that is true for the time being, there is a risk of the virus eventually
growing to be vaccine-resistant.
“Whilst it may not be actually resistant,
it may not take so many changes after this for it to get there,” said
Ravindra Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the University
of Cambridge. That would put us in a situation similar to the flu, where
the vaccine needs to be regularly updated as the virus continues to
adapt. Fortunately, according to the BBC, the vaccine we have is very
easy to tweak.
Is this strain active anywhere outside of
Britain?
It isn’t clear whether the strain emerged in a patient in the UK or has
been imported from a country with a lower ability to monitor the
coronavirus. It can be found across the UK, but it is heavily
concentrated in London, the South East, and eastern England. Several
cases have been detected in Denmark, Australia, and the Netherlands,
probably coming from the UK.
A similar strain has emerged in South Africa. Although it shares up to
90 percent of the mutations found in the UK variant, evidence suggests
that the two variations have emerged separately, according to molecular
epidemiologist Emma Hodcroft.
As we mentioned, most European countries
have suspended air travel from the United Kingdom to try and contain the
spread of the new strain. The United States had already blocked travel
for most non-US citizens who had recently been to the UK. According to a
report from the Telegraph, president Trump was considering lifting that
ban - but the lockdown declared this Saturday is likely to change that
decision.
Hopefully, this unpleasant development can be contained quickly and
effectively. We wish you all a safe holiday season.