At least four new variants of the coronavirus keep scientists awake at night.
One, first identified in the south-east of England, has now appeared in at least 50 countries and appears to be spreading more effectively than older variations of the virus. Its occurrence has frightened political leaders, who have closed borders and imposed travel restrictions, to limit its spread.
Others, identified in South Africa and Brazil, have not yet traveled so far and wide, but show a constellation of mutations that have attracted 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 first seen in Britain. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned last week that it could exacerbate the spread of the pandemic.
Although there is nothing like the phrase “mutant new virus” that attracts attention, scientists say they have so far been reassured by what they have found: the human immune system can handle 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 that cause more physical changes in the structure of the vein protein than B.1.1.7 does. One important mutation, called E484K, appears to affect the receptor binding domain – the part of the ear protein that is most important for attachment to cells.
P.1 and P.2: Two worrying variants first appeared in Brazil. One, named P.1., Was found in 42% of the samples in one survey conducted in the Brazilian city of Manaus, and Japanese officials found the variant in four travelers from Brazil. P.2, which was also first seen in Brazil, caused a stir when it turned up in 11 people in Britain last week.
L425R: Finally, there is a new variant seen in California L425R, and although it is common, it is not yet clear if it is more portable.
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