- A new variant of the coronavirus has been reported in the US, UK and 9 other countries.
- One of the mutations could help escape neutral antibodies, one expert said.
- Mutations in the virus are one of the biggest obstacles to ending the pandemic.
- Visit the Insider Business Department for more stories.
According to a new academic report, a new variant with three “mutations of biological significance” has so far been detected in 11 countries.
This new variant, B.1.525, has been found on several continents, academics at the University of Edinburgh noted in a review of the variant published on Monday.
Here is a list of countries where it was found:
- The USA
- Canada
- Denmark
- The United Kingdom
- France
- Belgium
- Spain
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- Jordaan
- Australia
Countries differ greatly in their ability to detect different variants, and it is possible that the variant is in more places that it has not yet noticed.
This newly reported variant has the E484K mutation.
This mutation was also found in the B.1.1.7 variant originally detected in the United Kingdom, and the B.1.351 and B.1.1.28 variants originating from South Africa and Brazil, respectively.
The fear is that this mutation could help the vaccine neutralize antibodies.
Professor Ravi Gupta, a clinical microbiology expert from the University of Cambridge, said the variant, apart from the E484K, also contains another mutation “which is likely to help escape our antibodies”, reports The Irish Times.
The report contains two other mutations that allegedly have ‘biological significance’, according to the report from Scotland. These are called Q677H and F888L.
The reason why the variant has been found in so many countries is that it has been around for some time. The data analyzed by the scientists come from samples collected earlier.
The earliest sample in which they detected this variant dates from 15 December 2020.
More variants appear around the world. Many of them do not significantly change the way the virus behaves.
But some are potentially dangerous. They can make the virus more contagious and can also make it more lethal or better to escape existing vaccines.
It takes time to fully explore new variants, so early conclusions about the changes that a variant entails are often preliminary.
Seven new variants that could potentially be more contagious have been reported in the US, Sarah Al-Arshani of Insider reported this week.
Another worrying variant was identified in Uganda on Friday, Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce of Insider reported.
Read more: A bar owner has found a way to save money on COVID employee tests – and customers pick up the tab
Dr Simon Clarke, an expert in cellular microbiology from the University of Reading, said: “We do not yet know how well this variant will spread, but if it is successful, it can be assumed that immunity to any vaccine or previous infection will be blunted. “, reports The Guardian.
According to the features of Insider’s Andrew Dunn, Aria Bendix and Hilary Brueck, the spread of these new variants could mean the coronavirus pandemic may be here to stay.