Following the roll out of the Pfizer vaccines, which was surely a joyous moment for the world, a new strain of COVID-19 has been discovered by the scientists in the United Kingdom. Whenever a virus replicates and circulates in a human population, mutations occur naturally, at a rate of around one to two mutations per month in the global phylogeny. However, most of these mutations have been trivial but the latest mutation has made the world anxious.
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The New Variant
The new variant, which has been named “VUI 202012/01”, includes a genetic mutation in the “spike” protein that could be the cause of immediate and easy spread of the virus amongst people. This means, the variant that’s been identified in the UK has 17 mutations that affect the shape of the virus, including the spike protein that gives the coronavirus family their name. The cluster differs by 29 nucleotide substitutions from the original Wuhan strain.
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Research So Far
Britain has some of the most sophisticated genomic surveillance efforts in the world, which allowed scientists there to discover the variant when it might have gone unnoticed elsewhere. It\’s naïve to conclude that the variant was not already spreading widely outside Britain. Preliminary analysis suggests that it is more transmissible than previously circulating variants. There is no evidence that the variant is more likely to cause severe disease or mortality but investigations are going on to understand this better. Scientists will continually monitor this over the coming weeks and study the impact of the mutation that the virus has undergone. There is currently no evidence to suggest that the Pfizer vaccine would not protect people against the new strain.
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The virus has forced us to reflect on the fragility of life. No one is safe until everyone is safe. Let\’s not stop taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. With small steps, we might be able to prevent the virus from passing on.