LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) – British scientists are trying to determine whether the rapid spread in the south of England of a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is linked to key mutations they have detected in the strain, they said on Tuesday .
The mutations include changes in the important “ear” protein that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus uses to infect human cells, said a group of scientists who tracked the virus’s genetics, but it’s unclear whether these make them more infectious. .
“An effort is being made to confirm whether or not any of these mutations contribute to increased transmission,” scientists from the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium said in a statement.
The new variant, which British scientists have called “VUI – 202012/01”, includes a genetic mutation in the “spike” protein, which, in theory, could cause COVID-19 to spread more easily among people.
The British government on Monday cited an increase in new infections, which it said could be partly related to the new variant, as it moved its capital and many other areas to the highest level of COVID-19 restrictions.
As of December 13, 1,108 cases of COVID-19 had been identified with the new variant, mainly in the south and east of England, according to a Public Health England statement.
But there is currently no evidence that the variant is more likely to cause serious COVID-19 infections, according to scientists, or that it would make vaccines less effective.
“Both questions require more studies done at the pace,” COG-UK scientists said.
Genetic mutations or changes occur naturally in all viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, as they replicate and circulate in human populations.
In the case of SARS-CoV-2, these mutations accumulate at a rate of one to two mutations per month worldwide, according to COG-UK genetics specialists.
“As a result of this ongoing process, many thousands of mutations have already arisen in the SARS-CoV-2 genome since the virus emerged in 2019,” they said.
Most of the mutations observed so far have had no apparent effect on the virus, and only a minority are likely to change the virus significantly, for example, by making it more capable of infecting people, more likely to cause serious diseases, or less sensitive to natural or vaccine-induced immune defenses.
Susan Hopkins, PHE’s medical advisor, said that “the virus is not expected to evolve and it is important that we detect any changes quickly to understand the potential risk.”
He said the new variant “is being detected in a wide geography, especially where more cases are detected.” (Report by Kate Kelland; edited by Philippa Fletcher)