New COVID-19 strain discovered in the USA even more contagious – research

New COVID-19 strain discovered in the USA even more contagious – research

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A new variant of the coronavirus has been discovered in the United States and appears to be even more contagious than the previously discovered South African and British strain, two studies have revealed.

In the first study, scientists at Southern Illinois University identified a third American variant of COVID-19, which may be the most contagious strain to date, the researchers said on Thursday, adding that it is believed to be responsible for up to 50% of all the cases in the United States.

“It’s here. We found it,” said Keith Gagnon, associate professor of biochemistry at SIU Carbondale, who discovered the new variant, known as 20C-US.

“It is definitely home grown and widespread, and we are the first to characterize it,” said Gagnon, adding that its impact on vaccines is uncertain.

The local mutation is mainly hitting the Midwest, the researchers said in a press release, revealing that they traced the strain to Texas, where it apparently first appeared in May.

“We have identified a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that appeared in the United States at the beginning of the coronavirus disease pandemic and has become one of the most prevalent variants in the United States,” the statement said. “It can be more easily transmitted than other variants, and its impact on vaccines is uncertain,” said the study.

These discoveries were revealed a day after scientists at the Wexner Medical Center and Ohio State University School of Medicine discovered the new variant of SARS-Cov-2, identical to the UK strain, but likely appearing in an already present strain of virus. in the United States .
The researchers also reported on the evolution of another US strain, 20C-US, which acquired three other genetic mutations not previously seen together in SARS-CoV2.

The results of the 20C-US study were published in the online journal bioRxiv.org on Wednesday.

“The big question is whether these mutations will make current vaccines and therapeutic approaches less effective,” said Peter Mohler, co-author of the study and scientific director at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and vice president of research at the College of Remedy. “At this point, we have no data to believe that these mutations will have any impact on the effectiveness of vaccines now in use.”

“It is important not to overreact to this new variant until we get additional data,” said Mohler. “We need to understand the impact of mutations on virus transmission, the prevalence of the strain in the population and whether it has a more significant impact on human health.”

“Furthermore, it is essential that we continue to monitor the evolution of the virus, so that we can understand the impact of mutant forms on the design of diagnostics and therapeutics. It is essential that we make decisions based on the best science.”

The scientists said the discovery of the Columbus variant, COH.20G / 501Y, suggests that the same mutation may be occurring independently in various parts of the world during the past few months.

“Viruses mutate naturally and evolve over time, but the changes seen in the past two months were more prominent than in the first months of the pandemic,” said Jones. His team has conducted genetic sequencing of the state of Ohio on SARS-CoV2 patient and environmental samples, and he will continue to monitor changes as vaccination occurs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that they had not seen the emergence of a new highly contagious American variant of the coronavirus. He noted, however, that there are likely to be many emerging variants around the globe.

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