Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Number of cases Covid-19 a new variant known as R.1 found in a nursing home in Kentucky, United States of America last March.
The governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, said his region was among the three states in the US that had the highest recorded cases of COVID-19 infection with the R.1 variant.
according to report The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) out of a total of 199 patients and nurses at the nursing home, there are about 26 patients and 20 nurses who have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 28 specimens studied were infected with Covid-19 variant R.1.
“The risk of transmission of the R.1 variant in unvaccinated patients is three times higher than in those who have been vaccinated,” the CDC report said.
Meanwhile, about 90 percent of the nursing home residents and 52 percent of the facility’s staff have completed two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. However, among those who had been vaccinated, 25.4 percent of patients and 7.1 percent of nurses remained infected with Covid-19.
According to the CDC analysis, the data raises concerns that the Covid-19 vaccine antibodies are not very effective against the R.1 variant.
World Health Organization (WHO) itself has included the R.1 variant in the Variants Under Monitoring list since 7 April. The mutation of the corona virus was detected in January in several countries.
Some reports say the R.1 variant was first detected in Japan. This variant infects three members of one family in Japan. One of them is in his 40s.
The three patients live in Japan and have no history of going abroad.
This variant contains a mutation that allows bypassing antibody protection even for those who have been fully vaccinated.
According to Outbreak.info, as of September 22, there have been 10,567 reported cases of R.1 detected worldwide.
In the US, R.1 cases were recorded at 2,259, while in Japan there were 7,519 cases. So far, these two countries lead as countries with the most cases of the R.1 variant.
According to data from GISAID, a global science initiative that provides open access to influenza virus genome data, as of August 6, there were at least 0.5 percent of the R.1 variant of all new cases of COVID-19 in the US.
The state of Maryland also recorded the highest number of cases, with 399 detected since the variant first emerged in the region.
Despite the low number of infections, former Harvard Medical School professor William A Haseltine believes the new R.1 mutation will spread more easily, but still can’t beat the Delta variant.
“R.1 even though it is spread out, it doesn’t really compete with the delta varial seriously,” he was quoted as saying Prevention, Thursday (23/9).
In the same vein, Ames A Adalja, an infectious disease expert at the Jop Hopkins Health Center for Security, said that there was no possibility that the R.1 variant would replace the Delta variant.
“(but) it is important to study these variants, the response to vaccines and monoclonal antibodies and their spread,” said Adalja.
The five variations found in R.1 are said to cause increased resistance to antibodies. If so, that would mean it could make this variant better against the antibodies of those who have been vaccinated and those who have already been infected.
The CDC says the R.1 variant contains the W152L mutation, which is an antibody target and can reduce immune effectiveness.
The W152L mutation was also present in a small variant of the Delta strain detected in India.
“People who are vaccinated are significantly less likely to develop symptoms or require hospitalization,” the CDC said.
The Delta variant is currently the dominant variant in the US. Currently, it accounts for more than 98 percent of existing cases.
(isa/rds)
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