At least four new variants of the coronavirus are keeping scientists awake at night.
One, first identified in South East England, has now shown up in at least 50 countries and appears to be spreading more efficiently than older variants of the virus. Its appearance has scared political leaders, who have closed borders and imposed travel restrictions in attempts to curb its spread.
Others, identified in South Africa and Brazil, have not traveled that far, but exhibit a constellation of mutations that have caught the attention of geneticists.
B.1.1.7: At the top of the list for researchers in the United States is the B.1.1.7 variant that was first seen in Britain. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned last week that it could worsen the spread of the pandemic.
While there’s nothing like the phrase “mutant new virus” to draw attention to, scientists so far say they’re reassured by what they’ve found: The human immune system can cope with the variants that have emerged so far.
B.1.351: A variant first seen in South Africa called B.1.351 or 501Y.V2 has a different pattern of mutations causing more physical changes in the structure of the spike protein than B.1.1.7. A major mutation called E484K appears to affect the receptor binding domain – the part of the spike protein most important for attaching to cells.
P.1 and P.2: Two varieties of concern have first emerged in Brazil. One, P.1. Named, it has been found in 42% of specimens in one study in the Brazilian city of Manaus, and Japanese officials found the variant in four travelers from Brazil. P.2, also first seen in Brazil, caused a flurry of alarm when it surfaced in 11 people in Britain last week.
L425R: Finally, in California there is a new variant called L425R, and while it is widely found, it is not yet clear if it is more transferable.
Read more about the variants:
