COVID-19 variant R.1 spreads rapidly in Kentucky nursing home

A new variant of the COVID-19 virus has been identified at a Kentucky nursing home, where it has infected 45 residents and workers, many of whom have been vaccinated.

The R.1 variant is native to Japan and contains dangerous mutations that can enhance “transmission, replication and immune suppression,” a scientist wrote in Forbes on Monday.

There are already more than 10,000 R.1 variant entries in a database used by researchers to track genomic material, said infectious disease expert Dr William Haseltine.

The variant shares the highly infectious D614G mutation that is present in other variants fueling new outbreaks of coronavirus, according to the doctor.

“R.1 is a variant to watch out for. It has gained a foothold in Japan and the United States, ”Haseltine wrote.

The news comes days after the FDA approved the booster shots for adults over 65 or anyone in poor health. The injections would be available six months after a second dose.

The agency said more research is needed on the effectiveness of booster shots against the Delta variant before they can greenlight their use for the general public.

Nearly 4.7 million people worldwide, including 675,000 Americans, have been killed by COVID-19, according to health officials.