A new strain of “double mutant” coronavirus that is believed to be behind an increase in cases in India has been discovered in San Francisco, marking what is believed to be the first time that the variant has been detected in the United States
The strain is called a “double mutant” because it carries two mutations that help the virus attach to cells, the San Francisco Chronicle grades.
The variant, as well as strains from the United Kingdom and Brazil, is believed to be more transmissible than the pre-existing form of the virus. It is currently unknown whether the “double mutant” strain is more resistant to vaccines available in the US
“This Indian variant contains two mutations in the same virus for the first time, previously seen in separate variants,” Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told the Chronicle.
“As we know that the affected domain is the part that the virus uses to enter the body, and that the California variant is already potentially more resistant to some antibodies in the vaccine, it seems that there is a chance that the Indian variant will do it too ”Added Chin-Hong.
Chin-Hong said he was “optimistic” that the vaccines would be effective against the “double mutant” strain, given data showing that the vaccines are effective against similar strains that were first detected in South Africa and California.
Health experts have warned that the United States may be heading towards a fourth wave of coronavirus cases fueled by new, more infectious strains. However, other experts, such as former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb, predicted that existing immunity, coupled with increased vaccine administration, could prevent a “real fourth wave” of cases in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California has administered nearly 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. The state is scheduled to open vaccine eligibility for everyone over 16 as of April 15. The United States recently reached a new record in administering more than 4 million doses of doses of coronavirus in one day. On Monday, 32 percent of the US population received at least one dose.