New Strains of COVID-19; What we Need to Know
30.01.2021
As a life threatening pandemic, Covid-19 remains one of the most talked about news in the world today with updates reported on a daily basis. In addition to all the noise about the vaccine, there’s more recently, a buzz about the newest strain of the virus that causes COVID-19. This strain is said to have originated in the UK sometime in September, 2020, and has since spread to the U.S., Canada and some other countries. Researchers are still gathering facts and insight on this new variant, in attempt to answer the following questions:
- How different is it from the other strain
- Is it more dangerous
- Does it need further precautions
- Does it infect children more easily than previous strain
- Will the current vaccine be effective against it
The questions go on and on, however, emergence of new strains of the Covid-19 virus was not at all a surprise to scientists. In fact, it is expected given the nature and biology of viruses; In the human body, viruses attach to cells, penetrate them, and make copies of their RNA, which helps them spread. In this process, errors randomly occur, causing changes in the viral RNA. These changes are called mutations, and will result in a new strain of virus. Currently, the seven types of corona viruses that infect humans are divided into four sub-groupings, called alpha, beta, gamma, and delta:
- 229E (alpha)
- NL63 (alpha)
- OC43 (beta)
- HKU1 (beta
- MERS-CoV, a beta virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)
- SARS-CoV, a beta virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
- SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19
Since the inception of the pandemic, there have been multiple variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19. These variants or strains are different from the strain first seen in China. New strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are detected on a weekly basis, however, there isn’t enough research to confirm that these new strains are more virulent or contagious. The newest strain (B117) was detected in southeastern England in September 2020 and by December, it became the most common cause of infection, accounting for about 60% of new cases. New strains were also seen in Denmark, The Netherlands, and other European countries. Additionally, another variant was detected in Africa, specifically Nigeria and South Africa (1.351). In Brazil, a variant called P.1 which contains a set of mutations that may affect its ability to be recognized by antibodies, was identified. It is worthy of note that most of the genetic changes in these viruses have no significance or functionality. However, the newest strain-, B117, appears to spread up to 70% more easily than previous strains of COVID-19.
According to current research, there is no evidence that the newer strains infect children more easily neither is there reason to suggest that vaccines would not work against new strains. However, scientists and public health experts are intensifying research and studying these variants to ensure that laboratory tests and vaccines remain effective. More so, CDC, in collaboration with other public health agencies, is closely monitoring the situation and working to detect emerging variants.