LONDON (Reuters) – A new variant of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Britain and is of great concern among its European neighbors, some of which have cut transport links.
The strain, referred to by some experts as the B.1.1.7 lineage, is not the first new variant of the pandemic virus to emerge, but is said to be up to 70% more transmissible than the previously dominant strain in the UK. .
ARE THE CONCERNS JUSTIFIED?
Most scientists say yes. The new variety has quickly become the dominant species in cases of COVID-19 in parts of southern England and has been associated with an increase in hospital admissions, especially in London and the adjacent county of Kent.
Although it was first seen in Britain in September, by the week of December 9 in London, 62% of COVID-19 cases were due to the new variant. That compared to 28% of the cases three weeks earlier.
The governments of Australia, Italy and the Netherlands say they have discovered cases of the new species. He was identified in the Netherlands at the beginning of December.
A few cases of COVID-19 with the new variant have also been reported to the ECDC, the European disease monitoring agency, by Iceland and Denmark. According to media reports in Belgium, cases have also been discovered there.
“It’s good to take it seriously,” said Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London. Shaun Fitzgerald, a visiting professor at the University of Cambridge, said the situation was “extremely worrying”.
WHY?
The main concern is that the variant is significantly more transferable than the original strain. It has 23 mutations in its genetic code – a relatively high number of changes – and some of these affect its ability to spread.
Scientists say it is about 40% -70% more transferable. The British government said on Saturday it could increase the reproduction ratio “R” by 0.4.
This means that it is spreading more quickly in Britain, making the pandemic there even more difficult to control and increasing the risk that it will spread quickly to other countries as well.
“The new B.1.1.7 … still appears to have all the human lethality that the original had, but with a greater ability to transmit,” said Martin Hibberd, professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
WILL COVID-19 PROTECT VACCINES FROM THIS VARIANT?
Scientists say there is no evidence that vaccines currently in use in the UK – made by Pfizer and BioNtech – or other COVID-19 shots in development will not protect against this variant.
“This is unlikely to have more than a minor effect on the effectiveness of the vaccine,” said Adam Finn, a vaccine specialist and professor of pediatrics at the University of Bristol.
Britain’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, also said that COVID-19 vaccines appeared to be enough to generate an immune response to the variant of the coronavirus.
“We are not seeing … any major changes in the spike protein that will reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine so far,” said Julian Tang, professor and clinical virologist at Leicester University.
DOES THE NEW VARIANT AFFECT TESTING?
To a certain extent, yes.
One of the mutations in the new variant affects one of three genomic targets used by some PCR assays. This means that in those tests, that target area, or “channel,” would come out negative.
“This has affected the ability of some tests to detect the virus,” said Robert Shorten, an expert in microbiology with the Association for Clinical Biochemistry & Laboratory Medicine.
However, since PCR tests generally detect more than one gene target, a mutation in the spike protein only partially affects the test, reducing the risk of false negative results.
ARE THERE OTHER MAJOR SARS-CoV-2 VARIANTS LEFT?
Yes. Strains of the COVID-19-causing virus have surfaced in recent months in South Africa, Spain, Denmark and other countries that have also raised concerns.
However, so far none has been found containing mutations that make it more deadly or more likely to avoid vaccines or treatments.
IS THIS NEW VARIANT ORIGINATING IN BRITAIN?
Vallance said on Saturday he thought the new variant may have started in the UK. Some scientists in Europe have credited British genomic surveillance expertise for identifying the mutation.
“The UK has one of the most comprehensive genetic surveillance programs in the world – 5% to 10% of all virus samples are genetically tested. Few countries are doing better, ”Steven Van Gucht, head of viral diseases at the Belgian Institute of Health, told a news conference on Monday.
Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels, edited by Josephine Mason and Mark Heinrich