At the moment, the factor of most concern is that the strain is rapidly replacing other versions of the virus – in the UK there are places where this new version is now the most common form of transmission. Laboratory analysis has determined that some of the mutations in this strain increase the virus’s ability to infect cells.
Despite this, there is no absolute certainty about a greater transmissibility of the strain among the population. The fact that it started to be broadcast more commonly in London may be due only to the lifting of restrictions that the British capital recently adopted, making the population more relaxed and facilitating infections. Although Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the strain is 70 percent more transmissible than the original virus, several scientists have given the station lower or higher numbers than that BBC.
London is precisely one of the places where the strain, first detected in September, causes most concern. At this time, almost two-thirds of Covid-19’s active cases in that city were caused by the new variant.
This SARS-CoV-2 mutation is believed to appeared in a patient in the UK with a weakened immune system and that, therefore, facilitated the mutation of the virus, or that it was imported from a country with less capacity to identify and monitor new strains.
The variant can now be found throughout the UK, except in Northern Ireland, and is highly concentrated in London and the south of England. Meanwhile, cases have been detected in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia, apparently imported from British territory.
“Thousands of mutations have already occurred”
Several European countries quickly decided to ban flights to and from the UK to prevent the new strain from reaching or increasing in their territories. This was the case in Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Australia, however, said it did not plan to announce such bans. It will only require passengers arriving from the UK to do 14 quarantine days at a hotel.
“Thousands of mutations of the new coronavirus have already occurred. There is no definitive evidence that this is a significant change ”, explained to Guardian Australian Health Director Paul Kelly.
“More transmission has been detected recently in the south of England and this could be associated with the virus. The infectious agent has changed a little, but many people have been moving in that region. In addition, it is winter, ”said the expert, seeking to justify the increase in transmission of the new strain with the population’s behavior.
Another specialist heard by the Guardian he stressed that, although the strain detected in the United Kingdom actually reached Australia, the mutation found in the Australian state of New South Wales is completely different from the British one.
This is further proof that the appearance of new strains of SARS-CoV-2 is nothing new. In fact, the virus initially detected in Wuhan, China, in December, is not the same as that currently found in most parts of the world.
The mutation known as D614G was the one that emerged in February in Europe and became the most dominant form of the virus globally. Another mutation, dubbed A222V, spread over the summer in Europe and has been linked to travelers who have spent holidays in Spain.
Vaccines should be effective against new strain
The severity of the most recent mutation is still being studied, but there is no evidence that the strain in question makes the infection more deadly. However, if it is more easily transmitted, the greater number of infections may proportionally lead to a greater number of deaths.
Even if the new strain is more dangerous, there is one factor that could bring rest to the population: any of the three vaccines developed against Covid-19 and which are starting to be administered should be effective against the new mutation.
Vaccines train the immune system to be able to attack different parts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and, therefore, they should work even if that virus carries mutations.
Still, as more different strains appear it may be necessary to adapt the vaccines, as with common flu vaccines, which are regularly updated to remain effective.
Since it first appeared in December last year, the new coronavirus has infected 76.4 million people worldwide, 1.6 million of whom are fatal victims. More than 48 million people have recovered from Covid-19 disease.
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