A new variant of the coronavirus was identified in New York City and experts reacted to the news with caution and concern.
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The new variant first appeared in the New York area in late November and has since expanded to neighboring states, according to researchers at the California Institute of Technology, one of two teams that went spread reports about his work this week.
However, it is still unknown how problematic this variant could be. Viruses constantly mutate – making changes to their genetic code – as they spread and replicate. “Most are not of major concern,” said François Balloux, director of the Institute of Genetics at University College London.
However, he added, “it is useful to identify — soon, label — and raise concerns.” This is because some genetic modifications can be worrisome, especially if they help viruses spread more easily, make it more lethal, or affect the effectiveness of vaccines. Scientists use genomic sequencing and other research methods to identify which ones represent potential problems.
New York City health authorities and Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday tried to allay concerns about the new variant, stressing that the new investigation is preliminary and not much is known about the mutation.
“Some variants are just that, variants,” said Dr. Jay Varma, the mayor’s health advisor.
What did they find in New York?
Two research groups – Caltech and Columbia University in New York – released studies this week describing their findings of the new variant. None of the reports have been published or reviewed by other scientists.
Caltech researchers found that the new variant was in about 25% of the 1,200 virus sequences they analyzed this month. The variant has also been identified in New Jersey and Connecticut, with “isolated appearances in the rest of the country,” said Anthony West, co-author of the report.
On Thursday, scientists at Columbia University released their research in which some 1,200 samples of patients treated at the university’s medical center since November were analyzed. During the second week of February, the new variant was identified in 12% of the samples, according to the report. They also found that patients infected with this mutation are more likely to be elderly and have been hospitalized.
Both teams noted that the new variant has a mutation that could potentially reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, a mutation that has been seen in other variants. “It’s definitely something that needs to be followed closely,” Balloux commented.
How many variants exist ??
Throughout the pandemic, new variants have emerged, but three are considered the most worrying and have been designated as “cure variants”. They were discovered in Britain, South Africa and Brazil and have since spread to other countries.
The variant identified in the UK late last year has already been found in 45 states in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This variant is worrying because it has almost two dozen mutations. Some of them are found in the spike protein that the virus uses to attach to cells and infect and in which vaccines and antibody drugs are focused.
One of the mutations in spike protein has also been identified in variants discovered in Brazil and South Africa and now in New York.
A variant circulating in California has also attracted attention. Between 40% and 50% of the samples analyzed by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health were found, according to its director Barbara Ferrer. However, there is not enough rigorous research to determine if it has possible effects and what they would be.
What’s next?
After what many described as a slow start, in recent weeks the federal government has accelerated genetic sequencing tasks to search for and study virus variants and determine which ones to cure. Meanwhile, Ana S. Gonzales Reiche, a virologist at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, called for caution. “Without evidence, there is no need to alarm about every variant that is detected,” he stressed.
Studies are raising concerns that first-generation vaccines against Covid-19 may not have as good results against the variant discovered in South Africa as they do with other versions. In response, pharmaceutical companies are already working to modify their inoculations.
Experts point out that where this happens, public health measures such as social distancing and the use of masks will reduce the chances for the coronavirus to continue to mutate and spread uncontrollably.
“There will be new variants,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S.’s leading infectious disease expert, told NBC on Thursday. “The trick is to prevent them from spreading once they show up.”
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