The British variant of COVID-19 (B 1.1.7) that has spread en masse in the UK appears to have undergone some worrying new genetic changes, according to scientists.
Some B 1.1.7 samples show a mutation called E484K, which was also found in the South African and Brazilian variants. Some studies seem to show that E484K can help the virus bypass parts of the immune system called antibodies.
Experts have found only a few cases of the British variant with the E484K mutation so far. This does not mean that this mutation is present in every case of the British variant.
How concerning are the new variants?
It is common for a virus to mutate, creating variants. All viruses mutate as they make new copies of themselves to spread and thrive.
Although E484K may affect the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, British experts recommend continuing vaccination. Scientists have already looked at what these latest mutations mean for the efficacy of the existing COVID-19 vaccines designed for COVID-19 as found at the start of the pandemic.
Early results from Moderna suggest that their vaccine will still be effective against variants with this mutation – although the body’s immune response may decrease a bit and last a little longer.
Two new COVID-19 vaccines coming up for approval – Novavax and Janssen – also appear to offer some protection against the latest variants.
In the worst case, vaccines must be adapted to create a well-functioning vaccine against the latest COVID-19 variants in the short term (weeks / months), according to British experts.
It may be a ray of hope that the variants mutate in a similar way rather than doing it in completely different ways. Prof Ravi Gupta from the University of Cambridge said: “This shows us that the virus seems to prefer the mode of mutation – that allows us to block it with a vaccine.”
The United Kingdom has already taken additional measures to prevent the spread of the latest variants. Large-scale testing is started regionally to detect the South African variant and further travel restrictions have been introduced to prevent more cases from arriving from abroad.
Dr. Julian Tang, a virus expert at the University of Leicester, said it is important that people continue to follow lockdown rules and minimize new COVID-19 infections to prevent the virus from further mutating. ‘Otherwise, the virus will not only continue to spread, it will also evolve.’
He said allowing further spread could be a “melting pot” for more variants to emerge.
Measures such as washing your hands, keeping your distance from other people and wearing a mouth mask still help to prevent infections.
UK Covid variant has mutated again, scientists say https://t.co/Net2xzYl7I
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) February 2, 2021
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