A new variant of the coronavirus has been identified in New York City, and experts responded cautiously and concerned to the news.
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The new variant first appeared in the New York area in late November and has since spread to contiguous states, according to researchers at the California Institute of Technology, one of two teams who released reports on their work this week.
However, it is not yet known how problematic this variant could be. Viruses constantly mutate – change their genetic code – as they spread and replicate. “Most are not of great importance,” said François Balloux, director of the Institute of Genetics at University College London.
He added, “It’s helpful to identify, label, and raise concerns early on.” That’s because some genetic modifications can be worrisome, especially if they help spread the virus more easily, make it more deadly, or affect the effectiveness of vaccines. Scientists use genomic sequencing and other research methods to determine which ones pose potential problems.
New York City health authorities and Mayor Bill de Blasio tried to allay concerns about the new variant on Thursday, emphasizing that the new research is preliminary and not much is known about this mutation.
“Some variants are just that, variants,” said Dr. Jay Varma, the mayor’s health advisor.
What did they find in New York?
Two research groups – Caltech and Columbia University in New York – published studies this week detailing their findings of the new variant. None of the reports have been published or reviewed by other scientists.
Caltech researchers found that the new variant was in about 25% of the 1,200 virus sequences they analyzed this month. The variant has also been identified in New Jersey and Connecticut, with “isolated events in the rest of the country,” said Anthony West, a co-author of the report.
On Thursday, scientists at Columbia University released their study analyzing about 1,200 samples from patients seen at the university’s medical center since November. According to the report, the new variant was identified in 12% of the samples in the second week of February. They also found that patients infected with this mutation are more likely to be elderly and hospitalized.
Both teams noted that the new variant has a mutation that could potentially reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, a mutation seen in other variants. “It’s definitely something to keep a close eye on,” said Balloux.
How many variants are there?
New variants have emerged during the pandemic, but three are considered the most concerning and are referred to as ‘care variants’. They were discovered in Great Britain, South Africa and Brazil and have since spread to other countries.
The variant identified in the UK late last year has already been found in 45 US states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This variant is worrisome because it has nearly two dozen mutations. Some of these are found in the spike protein that the virus uses to attach and infect cells and which is the target of vaccines and antibodies.
One of the mutations in the spike protein has also been identified in the variants discovered in Brazil and South Africa and now New York.
A variant circulating in California has also attracted attention. According to director Bárbara Ferrer, between 40% and 50% of the samples analyzed by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have been found. However, there isn’t enough rigorous research to determine if and what the possible effects are.
What’s next?
After what many described as a slow start, in recent weeks the federal government has accelerated genetic sequencing efforts to look for and study variants of the virus and identify which ones are of interest. Meanwhile, Ana S. Gonzales Reiche, a virologist at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, called for caution. “Without evidence, there is no reason to be concerned about every variant detected,” he stressed.
Studies raise concern that first-generation vaccines against Covid-19 do not perform as well against the variant discovered in South Africa as with other versions. In response, pharmaceutical companies are already working on adjusting their vaccinations.
Experts point out that, in what is happening, public health measures such as social detachment and the use of masks will narrow the chances for the coronavirus to continue to mutate and spread uncontrollably.
“There will be new variants,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s foremost infectious disease specialist, in a note to NBC on Thursday. “The trick is to keep them from spreading as soon as they occur.”
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