New mutant variants of the coronavirus may be running wild undetected in the United States due to a low level of genetic sequencing in positive COVID tests in the country, health officials say.
There are now more than 350 reported cases of ‘supercovideo’ in the United States of the three strains detected for the first time in Brazil, the United Kingdom and South Africa.
However, health officials say it is very likely that the number of new variants circulating in the country will be much higher, since viruses, by nature, are constantly mutating as they spread.
Some mutations can be harmful to a virus, causing it to die, but it is the fact that some can be more fatal, or even resistant to vaccines, that is of concern.
Scientists are usually able to monitor different strains through genetic sequencing, which allows them to examine the virus from active cases and study how a specific strain will infect others and react to vaccines.
The South African variant has a mutation in its spike protein (circled in yellow) that makes it more contagious, capable of reinfection and potentially more immune to vaccines. Two people in South Carolina are the first cases in the United States, but since they have not traveled recently and have no evident link, the variant may already be spreading in the USA.
Another 165,339 cases were reported on Friday, with 3,503 deaths – a slight reduction from the previous day.
Although none of the three new variants of COVID has been shown to be more fatal, they are more transmissible and experts fear they may lessen the effects of the vaccine
But detecting new variants by these means has been a challenge in the United States, where only a fraction of positive coronavirus tests are sent for further sequencing, according to The Washington Post.
Health officials say the emerging strains now put doctors and scientists in a ‘race against time’ to identify potentially more deadly forms of COVID-19.
“Genomic surveillance is probably the number one thing, in addition to the covid-19 test itself, that we can do to track the virus,” biochemist Keith Gagnon of Southern Illinois University told the Post. “Without it, we are flying blind.”
Although health experts and scientists supported efforts to conduct widespread sequencing, the shortage appears to be due to a lack of funding, according to the report.
The problem reflects the obstacles faced in the early days of the pandemic, when the coronavirus spread across the country without being checked due to a lack of tests.
The new variants raised fears that they could hinder vaccination efforts in the country and wipe out months of progress.
“Not all mutations are created equal,” said Mary Petrone, who studies infectious diseases at Yale University. ‘The virus will be lucky every now and then.’
The number of people hospitalized in the United States continued to fall in all states
Recent data has also offered a glimpse of hope in the country’s battle with the virus, with infection and hospitalization rates dropping in almost every United States.
And on Friday, zero states reported a record number of weekly cases for the first time since November 1, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Hospitalizations remain above 101,000, but the number continues to fall in almost all states.
Currently, there are more than 25.9 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country and 436,257 total deaths.
Another 165,339 cases were reported on Friday, with 3,503 deaths – a slight reduction from the previous day.
Although none of the three strains detected so far has been shown to be more fatal, they seem to spread more easily, which can lead to more hospitalizations and deaths.
One of the three main variants that experts are looking at was discovered in the UK at the end of last year and has been detected in dozens of countries since then.
On Friday, zero states reported a record number of weekly cases for the first time since November 1, according to the COVID Tracking Project
Health officials initially said it didn’t seem to cause any worse disease, but some more recent information suggests it could – this remains unknown at the moment.
The variant may become dominant in the United States in March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other variants first detected in South Africa and Brazil also seem more contagious, experts say.
The data so far suggest that current vaccines should still protect against these variants, although there is some concern that their effectiveness may be slightly diminished.
There is some evidence that some antibody treatments may be less effective against certain variants.
There are ways to adjust vaccines and treatments to maintain their effectiveness, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ leading infectious disease specialist.
