There are many variants of the coronavirus circulating around the world, but health experts are mainly concerned with the emergence of three variants first detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil. They seem to spread more easily and research is ongoing to see if they cause more serious illnesses.
As a virus infects people, it can mutate by making copies of itself. Some mutations can be harmful to a virus, causing it to die. Others may offer an advantage and help it to spread.
“Not every mutation is created the same way,” said Mary Petrone, who studies infectious diseases at Yale University. “The virus will be lucky every now and then.”
Monitoring of variants is important due to the possibility of making vaccines and treatments less effective or changing the way they infect people.
A mutation at the beginning of the pandemic fueled the spread of the virus worldwide, but there have been no noticeable changes since – until recently, said biologist Daniel Jones of Ohio State University.
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. 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. It seems to spread more easily, which can lead to more hospitalizations and deaths.
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.
The emergence of variants is related to continuous outbreaks, as infections give viruses a chance to mutate and spread. It is another reason why experts emphasize the importance of wearing masks and social detachment.
“The less humans carry the virus, the less opportunity it has to mutate,” said Jones.
Here’s what the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says about the three most worrying variants:
- In the United Kingdom (UK), a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (known as 20I / 501Y.V1, VOC 202012/01 or B.1.1.7) has emerged with a large number of mutations. Since then, this variant has been detected in several countries around the world, including the United States (USA). In January 2021, UK scientists reported evidence[1] this suggests that variant B.1.1.7 may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variants. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding. This variant was reported in the U.S. in late December 2020.
- In South Africa, another variant of SARS-CoV-2 (known as 20H / 501Y.V2 or B.1.351) has emerged independently of B.1.1.7. This variant shares some mutations with B.1.1.7. The cases attributed to this variant have been detected in several countries outside of South Africa. This variant was reported in the USA in late January 2021.
- In Brazil, a variant of SARS-CoV-2 (known as P.1) emerged that was first identified in four travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at Haneda Airport, near Tokyo, Japan. variant has 17 unique mutations, including three in the spike receptor-binding domain. This variant was detected in the USA in late January 2021.