A new “double mutant” coronavirus strain believed to be behind an increase in cases in India has been discovered in San Francisco. This is the first time that the variant has been detected in the USA.
The strain is referred to as a ‘double mutant’ because it carries two mutations that help the virus attach to cells, the San Francisco Chronicle. notes.
The variant, such as strains from the United Kingdom and Brazil, is thought to be more transmissible than the existing form of the virus. It is currently unknown whether the “double mutant” strain is more resistant to vaccines available in the US
“This Indian variant contains for the first time two mutations in the same virus, previously seen on different variants,” said Peter Chin-Hong, an expert in infectious diseases at the University of California.
‘Since we know that the domain affected is the part that the virus uses to enter the body, and that the California variant is increasingly resistant to some antibody antibodies, it seems likely that the Indian variant it can do. that too, ”Chin-Hong added.
Chin-Hong said he was “optimistic” that vaccines would be effective against the “double mutant” strain, as data showed that vaccines were effective against similar strains first detected in South Africa and California.
Health experts have warned that the US could strike at a fourth wave of coronavirus cases fueled by new, more contagious strains. However, other experts, such as former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb, have predicted that the existing immunity, coupled with the increase in vaccine administration, could ward off a ‘true fourth wave’ of cases in the US.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California has administered nearly 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. The state is scheduled to be eligible for vaccine for anyone over 16 from April 15th. The US recently set a new record in administering more than 4 million doses of coronavirus doses. As of Monday, 32 percent of the U.S. population had received at least one dose.