New Covid-19 variant detected could be more transmissible, might evade vaccine protection

A new variant of Covid-19 has been detected in South Africa and some others countries could be more transmissible and might over come vaccine protection, a study warned.

Scientists from National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) in South Africa detected the new variant, C.1.2 in 2021 May for the first time in the world. Apart from SA, this variant has been reported in China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, England, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland as of August 13.

The thorough review is yet to be awaited but scientists warn C.1.2 has mutated substantially to former variant C.1 and can be more transmissible. Also, it has more mutations than other variants of concern (VOCs) or Variants of Interest (VOI) detected worldwide so far. This heightens the concern about its ability to overcome protection offered by the available vaccines. If so, vaccines targeting this specific variant might have to be developed.

The scientists of the study also said that the number of available sequences of C.1.2 may be an underrepresentation of the spread and frequency of the variant in South Africa and around the world. The study found consistent increases in the number of C.1.2 genomes in South Africa each month, rising from 0.2% of genomes sequenced in May to 1.6% in June and then to 2% in July.

The spike protein is used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect and enter human cells, and most vaccines target this region. The mutations N440K and Y449H, which have been associated with immune escape from certain antibodies, have also been noticed in C.1.2 sequences. While these mutations are not characteristic of current VOCs/VOIs, they have been associated with escape from certain class 3 neutralising antibodies, study said.

They noted that these mutations together with changes in other parts of the virus likely help the virus evade antibodies, and immune response, including in patients who have already developed antibodies for the Alpha or Beta variants.

Anyway, no need to get over panicked as the final results and review of the mutation has not come yet. And it is recommended to follow health guidelines to stay away from infection.

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