A variant of the new coronavirus that first appeared in Southern California last summer has now spread to more than a dozen U.S. states and several other states, according to a new study.
The variant, known as CAL.20C, was first detected in Los Angeles County in July 2020, but it only reappeared in Southern California in October 2020, according to the study, which was published Thursday (February 11). ) in the journal JAMA. Cases of the variant have skyrocketed in the LA area, coinciding with winter’s increase in overall cases of coronavirus.
CAL.20C is now responsible for nearly half of the COVID-19 cases in Southern California and about one-third of the cases in the state, based on an analysis of viral genomes posted to a global database called GISAID word.
In addition, the researchers found that the variant spread to 19 other states by the end of January, compared to five states in November 2020. It also spread to the USA to six other countries – Australia, Denmark, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
The researchers suspect travelers from Southern California are spreading the variant elsewhere. “CAL.20C is moving, and we think it’s Californians who are moving it,” studied fellow senior author Jasmine Plummer, a research scientist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said in a statement.
The CAL.20C variant – also known as B.1.429 – is defined by five different mutations, three of which are in the virus’ vein protein, the structure that allows the virus to bind to and infect human cells.
Despite the apparent rise of the variant in Southern California, scientists still do not know whether CAL.20C is more contagious than other coronavirus strains. The variant may have become more common by chance, rather than having an inherent biological advantage, according to The New York Times.
The researchers also noted that their study analysis was limited to samples included in publicly available databases, as well as approximately 2,300 samples from their hospital, and that they could not exclude ‘prejudice about the collection’.
However, the variant has a worrying mutation known as L452R. This genetic mutation is in a gene that encodes the so-called receptor-binding domain (RBD), a site on the ear protein where the virus first attaches to human cells. Mutations in this area can in theory make the virus spread more easily, Live Science reported earlier.
Last month, California health officials said they were concerned about a variant with the L452R mutation because it had been identified in several major outbreaks in Santa Clara County. Live Science reported earlier.
The Cedars-Sinai researchers continue to study CAL.20C to determine if it is more contagious, worse, or better able to resist current vaccines compared to other strains.
Originally published on Live Science.