In some cases, the UK coronavirus variant has developed a mutation that could help it escape current vaccines, according to reports.
The variant, called B.1.1.7, was first identified in the UK in September 2020 and has since spread around the world, Live Science previously reported. This variant is more contagious than previous versions of the coronavirus.
On Monday (February 1), UK authorities revealed that out of about 214,000 samples of the variant that underwent genetic sequencing, they identified 11 samples that had acquired a mutation known as E484K, according to government documents.
This mutation has been seen before – notably in another variant of the coronavirus called B.1.351, which was first identified in South Africa in October 2020. The authorities are concerned about this mutation because it could impact the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. . In fact, data from several vaccine manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson and Novavax, found that their COVID-19 vaccines were less effective in South Africa, where B.1.351 is dominant.
Related: South African coronavirus variant: all your questions answered
The E484K mutation can reduce the ability of certain antibodies to neutralize or inactivate the virus before it can enter cells, Live Science previously reported.
Still, seeing the E484K mutation appear in the UK variant does not necessarily mean that that variant will become more contagious and resistant to vaccines, according to The New York Times. That’s because the E484K mutation may not have the same effect on the UK variant as it does on the South Africa variant; the impact of each mutation on a particular strain depends on the precise genetic makeup of the strain, including all other mutations it carries, the Times reported.
The E484K mutation also appeared in new variants of the coronavirus in Brazil. Experts are still working to find out how the mutation benefits the virus.
This mutation occurs in the receptor-binding domain (RBD), where the virus first attaches itself to human cells. According to STAT News. Variants with this mutation can spread more easily in populations where many people have had COVID-19, allowing reinfections in people with previous antibodies.
The mutation “may well transmit an aptitude advantage in environments where there is immunity” to the virus, Nicholas Davies, a mathematical biologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Times.
But so far, samples of B.1.1.7 with the E484K mutation appear very rare and it is unclear whether versions of B.1.1.7 with this mutation will take off in the UK “I think it is potentially worrying, but difficult to tell the report what that means, “said Davies.
Originally published on Live Science.