COVID-19 News: America Finally Has Its Own SARS-CoV-2 Variant COH.20G/501Y With More Worst And Complex Variants To Debut Shortly!
Source: COVID-19 News Jan 14, 2021 3 years, 3 months, 1 week, 4 days, 19 hours, 45 minutes ago
COVID-19 News: Researchers from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine have discovered a new variant of SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 called the COH.20G/501Y variant.
The scientist are still in the process of deciphering all the various mutations found on the genome of this new variant but do admit that the new variant carries a mutation identical to the U.K. strain, but it likely arose in a virus strain already present in the United States.
The researchers also report the evolution of another U.S. strain that acquired three other gene mutations not previously seen together in SARS-CoV2.
The research findings are being compiled for publication on a preprint server in the next few hours.
Scientists from the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center have been sequencing the genome of SARS-Cov-2 viruses in patients with COVID-19 since March 2020 in order to monitor the evolution of the virus. The new variant was discovered in one patient from Ohio.
However it should be noted that the researchers do not yet know the prevalence of the strain in the population.
However another In evolving strain with the three new mutations has become the dominant virus in Columbus during a three week period in late December 2020 and January.
Study leader Dr Dan Jones, vice chair of the division of molecular pathology told media, “This new Columbus strain has the same genetic backbone as earlier cases we’ve studied, but these three mutations represent a significant evolution. We know this shift didn’t come from the U.K. or South African branches of the virus.”
It was observed that just like the U.K. strain, mutations detected in both viruses affect the spikes that stud the surface of SARS-Cov-2. The spikes enable the virus to attach to and enter human cells.
Also like the U.K. strain, the mutations in the Columbus strain are likely to make the virus more infectious, making it easier for the virus to pass from person to person.
Dr Peter Mohler, a co-author of the study and chief scientific officer at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and vice dean for research at the College of Medicine said, “The big question is whether these mutations will render vaccines and current therapeutic approaches less effective. At this point, we have no data to believe that these mutations will have any impact on the effectiveness of vaccines now in use.”
Dr Mohler added, “It’s important that we don’t overreact to this new variant until we obtain additional data. We need to understand the impact of mutations on transmission of the virus, the prevalence of the strain in the population and whether it has a more significant impact on human health. Further, it is critical that we continue to monitor the evolution of the virus so we can understand the impact of the mutant forms on the design of both diagnostics and therapeutics. It is critical that we make decisions based on the best science.”
The researchers said that discovery of the Columbus variant, COH.20G/501Y, suggests that the
same mutation may be occurring independently in multiple parts of the world during the past few months.
D Jones added, “Viruses naturally mutate and evolve over time, but the changes seen in the last two months have been more prominent than in the first months of the pandemic.”
The study team Ohio State Wexner Medical Center has been conducting Ohio State’s genetic sequencing on environmental and patient SARS-CoV2 samples, and they will continue to monitor for changes as vaccination occurs.
In another developing story, another study team from a different university at Illinois state have also discovered another variant that is far worse according to the study team and details of that variant will be published by Thailand Medical News in the next few days. Also more such variants even far worst are expected to emerge in the next few weeks or months.
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