Scientists on November 25 warned about the newly emerged B.1.1.529 super strain with a large number of mutations, causing the number of infections in South Africa to increase 12 times.
B.1.1.529 has at least 32 mutations in the spike protein – the component that helps the virus attach to body cells, raising concerns about its ability to evade vaccines.
Differences between B.1.1.529 and Delta
To date, Delta is still the dominant strain globally.
B.1.1.529 contains a series of mutations such as K417N, N501Y, N440K, G446S… Of which the K417N mutation appeared in the Delta variant.
The N501Y mutation is also present in the Alpha variant, which helps the virus attach to human cells.
The N440K mutation helps the virus become strong, leading to serious complications after nCoV infection.
According to Professor Christina Pagel, Director of the Clinical Research Unit at Imperial College London, B.1.1.529 `has significant advantages over Delta`, with a high potential for immune escape and transmission.
Mr. Peacock said the strain contains two mutations, P681H and N679K, at the furin cleavage site (a position that helps the virus easily enter cells).
P681H appeared in the Mu and Alpha strains, increasing the transmissibility of the virus.
South Africans receive Covid-19 vaccine, February 2021.
Where did B.1.1.529 appear?
The variant was first discovered in South Africa, with the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirming there are 22 positive cases to date.
Professor Adrian Puren, Acting Executive Director of NICD, said: `It is no surprise that South Africa has recorded a new variant. Despite limited data, our experts are working tirelessly, using
Scientists believe that up to 90% of new cases in South Africa’s Gauteng province are B.1.1.529.
According to Health Minister Joe Phaahla, the emergence of variants is the reason domestic infections have `increased exponentially` in recent weeks.
According to him, the good news is that the PCR test can still identify the strain.
Effect of B.1.1.529 on vaccines
Fundamental changes risk causing B.1.1.529 to avoid immunity from vaccines and people who have had Covid-19.
To date, B.1.1.529 is considered the worst mutation in the pandemic because of the huge number of mutations and the superiority of those mutations.
`Our biggest concern is that its spike protein is too different from the original Wuhan virus and the virus used in vaccine research,` the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.
Scientists think it will be possible to fully assess B.1.1.529’s ability to evade vaccines in about two to eight weeks, based on the current rate of spread.