Mutations of viruses is a natural phenomenon as they circulate in their hosts.
But a new strain of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Britain and prompting high levels of concern across the world, bringing about a fresh wave of lockdowns and travel restrictions.
Scientists say the concerns are mostly justified. While it was first seen in Britain in September, by the week of December 9 in London, 62% of Covid-19 cases were due to the new variant. That compared to 28% of cases three weeks earlier, according to a Reuters report.
Amid all the alarm, there are two striking aspects about the new strain.
The bad: It may be up to 70% more transmissible than other circulating Sars-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) strains.
The good: There has been no conclusive evidence to suggest that the new mutant is deadlier, according to the World Health Organisation.
In a wider sense, many thousands of mutations and distinct lineages have already arisen in the Sars-CoV-2 genome since it emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, China. And the vast majority of mutations have left no apparent effect on the virus.
However, scientists pay most attention to mutations like those found in the new UK strain. It involves the gene that encodes the Sars-CoV-2 spike protein, which is associated with viral entry into cells and influences immunity and vaccine efficacy.
A key question now is how the new strain will have a bearing on the vaccines.
WHO officials have said the Sars-CoV-2 mutations have so far been much slower compared with influenza, and that even the new UK variant remains much less transmissible than other diseases like mumps.
More reassuringly, they say the vaccines being developed to combat Covid-19 should handle the new variants as well, although checks are under way to ensure this is the case.
Maria van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19, told the BBC on December 20 that current information suggests that the new variant doesn’t have any impact on the vaccines being rolled out.
However, as more mutations occur, vaccines may need to be altered. This happens with seasonal flu, which mutates every year, and the vaccines are adjusted accordingly.
Unlike common flu, coronaviruses have a proof-reading mechanism that means they don’t mutate as quickly. Covid-19 vaccines that have so far proved effective in trials can be easily tweaked if necessary, the BMJ medical journal reported on December 16.
WHO officials have even sounded positive on the discovery of the new strains, saying new tools to track the virus are working.
Countries imposing travel curbs are acting out of an abundance of caution while they assess risks, according to WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan. “That is prudent. But it is also important that everyone recognises that this happens, these variants occur.”
The virus, for sure, is not going to die out any time soon; the world has to learn to live with it in the long term.
As a matter of fact, global concerns over the new strain are justified as Sars-CoV-2 still remains insidious. Equally important is complying with national protocols and making sensible choices based on information substantiated by official agencies.
