The revered “South African” variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Hawaii.
The State Division of Laboratories (SLD) of the State Department of Health identified variant B.1.351 technically named in an Oahu resident with no travel history.
So far, it is the first and only incident of the confirmed variant in Hawai´i. However, Dr. Sarah Kemble, an acting state epidemiologist, said contact tracking revealed positive evidence in individuals associated with the case, meaning further community outreach is possible.
“This is worrisome because B.1.351 has a mutation that makes it more transmissible from one person to another and an independent mutation that can make it less sensitive to the antibodies we form when we have COVID or get vaccinated,” said Dr . Edward Desmond.
The mutation that increases transmissibility is called N501Y. The mutation that can reduce the effectiveness of antibodies is called E484K.
The N501Y and E484K mutations had been seen previously in Hawai’i, but this is the first time both mutations have been found together in a virus.
“While theoretical concerns have been raised about whether vaccination will be effective against new variant strains, real-world data so far are reassuring,” Kemble said. “A study in South Africa showed that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was effective in preventing serious illness requiring hospitalization and in preventing death, even where B.1.351 was the predominant strain.”
He added that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines would also be logically effective against the South African variant from a standard scientific perspective. However, these two companies do not yet have Johnson & Johnson data because they did not test their products specifically in South Africa during the testing phases.
“There are theoretical concerns,” Kemble said, “(but) right now, the data is promising. The more people are vaccinated, the more you won’t even be able to establish these viruses. They don’t even have a chance to pose a threat.”
Kemble went on to point out that the South African variant ⚊, as well as other variants potentially resistant to antibodies and vaccines now identified in Hawaii, including one originating in Brazil ⚊, have not been shown to cause more serious diseases in people than they contract. .
Beyond the South African strain, two new cases of variant B.1.1.7, also known as the UK variant, have been identified on the islands since the latest state report. This means that a total of eight cases of B.1.1.7 variants have been detected so far in Hawaii.
The UK variant, first detected in Hawaii in early February, has the N501Y transmissibility mutation, but not the E484K mutation. The most recent cases of B.1.1.7 involve two residents of O’ahu, one who traveled to the continental United States (Las Vegas) and a family contact of that person.
Investigation of recently detected variant cases is ongoing. Close contacts have been quarantined.
“Research shows that community mitigation measures are effective in reducing the risk of transmission of even the most aggressive variants,” said Dr. Elizabeth Char, director of state health. “This means that wearing masks, keeping your physical distance and washing your hands is more important than ever. The effectiveness of vaccines in preventing serious illness or death means we need to get vaccinated as soon as it’s our turn. ”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines on Monday, saying fully vaccinated people can congregate in small, private, maskless settings. Dr. Kemble delved into this as part of the DOH press conference.
“We still have to be very aware of who is at risk,” he said. “If everyone is completely vaccinated, you can have a meeting without masks.”
Kemble added, however, that if anyone is at risk of suffering serious results, social distancing and the use of masks should be observed. Regardless of the state of the vaccine, everyone should continue to follow DOH safety protocols as long as they interact in public spaces.
SLD continues to perform weekly genomic sequencing on state-wide COVID samples in order to detect variant strains, including strains of concern. This systemic search for variant strains is achieved with the collaboration of private sector laboratories.