Strain first detected in England, which can be 30 per cent more deadly than other varieties, has spread to more than 50 countries.
The coronavirus variant, first recorded in south-east England, is likely to become ‘the world’ cattle and become the most dominant world strain, says the head of the UK’s genetic observation program, regarding the emerging mutations of the virus.
Since being discovered in Kent, a province known as the ‘Garden of England’, and popular with commuters due to its proximity to London, the B.1.1.7 variant has spread to more than 50 countries.
The tension raised enough concern to enforce a new national exclusion in the UK and led to worldwide panic.
Experts said it could be up to 70 percent more contagious and about 30 percent more deadly than other variants.
After jerking through the UK and waving outside, the Kent variant was now on its way to ‘conjure up the world, in all likelihood’, Sharon Peacock, director of the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium, told the BBC said.
She also warned that although COVID-19 vaccines have so far proved effective against the B.1.1.7 variant and other virus strains found in the UK, further mutations could potentially undermine the shots.
‘What is worrying about this is that the 1.1.7 variant that we have been spreading for a few weeks and months is starting to mutate again and get new mutations that could affect the way we handle the virus in terms of immunity and efficiency of vaccines. Said Peacock.
“It’s about the fact that the 1.1.7, which is more transmissible, which swept the country, is now mutating to have this new mutation that could threaten the vaccination.”
New ‘variant of concern’ detected in England
The new mutation referred to by Peacock, first identified in Bristol, in the south-west of England, has since been hailed by the UK’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group as a “worrying variant”.
There are so far 21 cases of the variant, known as E484K mutation. Scientists believe the E484K mutation could help the coronavirus evade antibodies, which could reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.
‘One must be a realist that this particular mutation has now originated at least five times in our kind of common garden genus – five different times. And so it’s going to keep popping up, ‘Peacock said.
‘As soon as we get to the top [the virus] or if it mutates itself because it is ominous – causing disease – then we can stop worrying about it. But I think if we look into the future, we’ll be doing it for years. In my opinion, we are going to do this for another ten years. ”
The mutation occurs on the ear protein of the virus and is the same change that has been detected in other emerging strains found in South Africa and Brazil – which have been identified by scientists 20I / 501Y.V2 or B.1.351 and P.1, respectively. .
Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands, reported by the capital London, said Peacock’s warning was further proof that the fight against COVID-19 was likely to be a ‘long-term project’.
“This does not mean that it will be an acute public health crisis for the time being, because different strains of the coronavirus have different consequences,” he said.
‘Not everyone is lethal, and once you get the virus, they all go back as a public health crisis, but you need to keep abreast of the new variants as they appear so that the vaccines you use can continue to to be as effective as possible ”.
The coronavirus has killed more than 2.3 million people and overturned normal life for billions since the December 2019 pandemic broke out.
The UK has recorded nearly four million cases and the virus has killed more than 115,000 people, one of the world’s highest death toll.