Scientists are rushing to understand why a new strain of the coronavirus that emerged in England in September appears to be spreading much faster than previous variants.
The early conclusion, according to British scientists, is that the virus has mutated to alter the so-called spike protein on the surface of the virus, increasing the protein’s ability to cling to and enter human cells . These changes allow the mutation, known as N501Y, to spread 70% faster than previous versions of the virus, early analysis suggests.
Neville Sanjana of the New York Genome Center says there is no evidence that the variant has spread to the US
Viruses are constantly mutating and coronaviruses less than some others, such as those that cause flu. Sometimes these unintentional changes change the characteristics of the virus and sometimes they don’t.
Scientists have identified 23 genetic changes in the new variant, an unusually large number, some of which are related to changes in the proteins made by the virus.