What you need to know about B.1.427 / B.1.429

Public health experts are learning more and more about the coronavirus variants as the virus continues to mutate and spread across the world. But while B.1.1.7 (the British variant), B.1.351 (the South African variant) and P.1 (the Brazilian variant) have received a lot of attention, another has appeared right here in the United States. .

B.1.427 / B.1.429, two forms collectively nicknamed the “California variant” because they share three key mutations, has spread widely since its initial detection in July 2020 in Los Angeles County; in fact, experts predict that the “local strain” will be responsible for 90% of the state’s coronavirus infections by the end of March, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Early research suggests that this particular variant could be more infectious and could potentially cause more severe disease than the initial dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 (aka the novel coronavirus). Here’s what the experts know so far.

What is B.1.427 / B.1.429 and where does the variant come from?

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has yet to release official data on the variant, researchers at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) have analyzed its mutations and published a few key findings.

The California variant has three mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, indicating that it may be more infectious than the original dominant novel coronavirus strain, the researchers said. The coronavirus uses the spike protein to attach itself to human cells, where it replicates and then infects other cells, explains infectious disease expert Amesh Adalja, MD, principal investigator at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Thus, “changes in the spike protein are likely to alter the ability of the virus to bind to human cells. This can make a virus more efficient. ”

It is not known exactly where the variant came from, but recent research by UCSF and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub found it to be widespread – 53% of the 630 positive COVID-19 cases detected in the Mission District of San Francisco from mid to late January were represented by a key mutation known as L452R, which is shared by B.1.427 and B.1.429. Another pre-printed study conducted by researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that there had been “dramatic growth” of the California variant in the state since November 2020.

Has the variant been detected beyond California?

The CDC has yet to release official figures. Research so far has largely focused on the state of California, but this will likely increase over time. However, variant tracker Outbreak.info, a project of Scripps Research’s Su, Wu, and Andersen Laboratories, reports that B.1.429 has at least been detected in a majority of states.

How contagious is the California variant? And is it causing more serious COVID-19?

The researchers behind the aforementioned pre-print study also published a research letter in JAMA on their results. They found that most of the coronavirus strains in Southern California were from clade 20C by October 2020 (A clade is a group of viruses from the same source.) This clade was the one that settled in New York City early on. from 2020, when the pandemic began to escalate in the United States

But researchers found that the California variant was slowly starting to spread throughout the state in late fall. As of January 2021, the California variant accounted for 35% of all COVID-19 cases in the state and 44% of all coronavirus cases in Southern California. “This rise occurred at a time when California was booming,” says David Cennimo, MD, assistant professor of pediatric infectious disease medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in New Jersey. “So it is implied that the variant results in a higher prevalence of cases, as well as a higher percentage of cases.”

Preliminary research from UCSF that has not yet been published analyzed a group of more than 300 COVID-19 patients and also found a link between B.1.427 / B.1.429 and more serious illness. The data, which has been shared with Science, found that people infected with the California variant were nearly five times more likely to be admitted to intensive care and 11 times more likely to die than patients with other viral strains, even after adjusting the numbers to hold account for differences in age, gender and ethnicity.

Are the available COVID-19 vaccines still effective against the Californian variant?

Some preliminary laboratory studies suggest that the California variant may be less sensitive to anti-infectious antibodies in the blood of people who have received Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, Science reported, but much more research is needed before concrete claims of reduced efficacy can be made.

However, the experts we spoke to are confident in the vaccines available. Dr Adalja predicts that the California variant won’t be a problem, as long as people are given both doses. “It’s very difficult for a variant to completely escape the vaccine,” he says, which means that while the vaccine is not as effective against that particular variant as it is against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, he can always be protective. against severe forms of COVID-19.

Dr Cennimo agrees, but stresses that we will only know more with time and further studies. “I think vaccines should always be effective [against the California variant] since they do well against other variants, ”he adds.

Should you be concerned about the California variant? What’s the best way to stay safe?

Experts say the California variant is unlikely to be the only local variant. “There are very likely different variants in the United States,” says Jennifer Surtees, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and director of the Genome, Environment and Microbiome Community of Excellence at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. ‘University at Buffalo.

In fact, a new variant was recently detected in Ohio. “The fact that several lines have accumulated similar mutations indicates that these mutations may have a selective advantage,” she says. That’s why, says Surtees, it’s important for experts to track SARS-CoV-2 cases – and their genetic makeup – across the country.

Until researchers know more, now is not the time to let go. Even as cases are declining across the country, more than 500,000 people have lost their lives from the virus, according to the most recent data from the CDC. The same COVID-19 prevention rules still apply: continue to practice social distancing, wear a well-fitting, multi-layered mask when around people outside your household, and continue to wash your hands well and often.

This article is correct at the time of publication. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolves and the scientific community’s understanding of the new coronavirus grows, some of the information may have changed since it was last updated. While we seek to keep all of our stories up to date, please visit the online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department to stay informed of the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.

Go here to join Prevention Premium (our best value for money, full access plan), subscribe to the magazine or get digital access only.

FOLLOW PREVENTION ON INSTAGRAM

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported to this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content on piano.io