One case of a new virus first detected in India was identified in the San Francisco Bay Area last week and seven other cases are expected.
The Clinic Virology Lab at Stanford Health Care has detected the variant and believes it is the first time in the United States, according to KRON.
The variant found in India contains a combination of two mutations in the spiny protein identified in other variants: the L452R mutation first detected in California and believed to be 20% more transmissible, and the E484Q found in Brazil dominates.
The virus mutated throughout the pandemic. Most mutations are insignificant, but scientists have investigated what problems can make the virus spread more easily or make people sicker. Variants first detected in South Africa, Britain, Brazil and California have been identified as ‘variants of concern’ by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All these variants have been detected in the Bay area.
Early research suggests that the vaccines provide protection against the new variants, although they may be slightly less effective and require further investigation.
The variety of India was found mainly in the country of Maharashtra and the Ministry of Health said in a statement that it was found in 15% to 20% of the samples followed up in the region.
There is no definitive proof that it is more transferable, said dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an expert in infectious diseases at UCSF, told KCBS on Monday morning.
“My feeling is that the vaccines will work against this Indian variant,” Chin-Hong said. “Last week we received information that Pfizer is working against the South African variant. It is somewhat similar, I hope it works as well.”
Stanford researchers have screened hundreds of viral samples collected from people in the Bay Area and tracked the entire viral genome to identify new mutations as found in key viral proteins.
“In most cases, it is too early to say whether these variants will affect the course of the pandemic, but it is important to monitor its evolution and spread,” he said. Benjamin Pinsky, associate professor of pathology and infectious diseases at the School of Medicine, said in a statement. “Our surveillance tests are specifically designed to enable large-scale screening of viral samples to identify specific strains circulating in the Bay and in California.”
Associated Press contributed to this story.