The vaunted “South African” variant of COVID-19 was detected in Hawaii.
The Department of Health’s State Laboratories Division (SLD) identified variant B.1.351 with a technical name in an O’ahu resident with no travel history.
So far, it is the first and only incident of the variant confirmed in Hawaii. However, Dr. Sarah Kemble, an acting state epidemiologist, said contact tracking revealed positive tests on individuals associated with the case, meaning that further dissemination to the community is highly possible.
“This is worrisome because B.1.351 has a mutation that makes it more transmissible from one person to another, and a separate mutation that can make it less responsive to the antibodies that we form when we take COVID or are vaccinated,” said the Director of SLD , Dr. Edward Desmond.
The mutation that increases transmissibility is called N501Y. The mutation that can reduce the effectiveness of antibodies is called E484K.
The N501Y and E484K mutations had already been seen in Hawaii, but this is the first time that the two mutations have been found together in a virus.
“Although theoretical concerns have been raised about whether vaccination will be effective against new variant strains, the real-world data so far is reassuring,” said Kemble. “A study in South Africa showed that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was effective in preventing serious illnesses that required hospitalization and preventing death, even where B.1.351 was the predominant strain.”
She added that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines would also be logically effective against the South African variant from a standard scientific perspective. These two companies, however, do not yet have the data that Johnson & Johnson has because they have not tested their products specifically in South Africa during the testing phases.
“There are theoretical concerns,” said Kemble, “(but) now, the data is promising. The more people are vaccinated, you will not even have a foothold for these viruses. They don’t even have a chance to pose a threat. “
Kemble continued, noting that the South African variant ⚊, as well as other variants potentially resistant to antibodies and vaccines now identified in Hawaii, including one from Brazil Brasil have not been proven to cause the most serious illnesses in people who contract them.
In addition to the South African strain, two new cases of variant B.1.1.7, also known as the United Kingdom variant, have been identified on the islands since the last state report. This means that a total of eight cases of B.1.1.7 variants have been detected in Hawaii to date.
The UK variant, first detected in Hawaii in early February, has the N501Y transmissibility mutation, but not the E484K mutation. The most recent cases in B.1.1.7 involve two O’ahu residents, one who traveled to the mainland of the United States (Las Vegas) and a domestic contact with that individual.
The investigation of cases of recently detected variants is ongoing. Nearby contacts were quarantined.
“Research shows that community mitigation measures are effective in reducing the risk of transmission even for the most aggressive variants,” said State Health Director, Dr. Elizabeth Char. “That means wearing masks, keeping your distance and washing your hands is more important than ever. The effectiveness of vaccines in preventing serious illness or death means that we should be vaccinated as soon as it is our turn. ”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new guideline on Monday, saying that fully vaccinated people can gather in small private settings without masks. Dr. Kemble elaborated this as part of the DOH press conference.
“We still need to be very aware of who is at risk,” she said. “If everyone is fully vaccinated, you can have a meeting without masks.”
Kemble added, however, that if someone at risk of serious results is present, social detachment and wearing masks should be observed. Regardless of the status of the vaccine, everyone should continue to follow DOH safety protocols whenever they interact in public spaces.
SLD continues to perform genomic sequencing weekly on COVID samples from across the state in order to detect variant strains, including strains of concern. This systemic search for variant strains is carried out with the collaboration of private sector laboratories.