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A variant of Covid originating in Japan has been identified at a Kentucky nursing home where it has infected 45 residents, as experts warn it could spread faster and be resistant to vaccines
- Covid R.1 variant is ‘one to watch’ variant, says disease expert Dr Haseltine
- He claimed he had gained a foothold in Japan and the United States
- But figures show it was moved in both countries by the Delta variant
A variant of Covid first identified in Japan was spotted in a Kentucky nursing home where 45 residents caught Covid.
Former Harvard Medical School professor Dr William Haseltine said the outbreak suggested the mutant strain – dubbed R.1 – was a “one to watch.”
But the outbreak appears to have been reported by the CDC in April, and data suggests the mutant strain is now all but extinct in the United States.
Professor Christina Pagel, of University College London, said today that the variant does not appear to be a “big threat” and does not outperform Delta.
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick Medical School in the UK, echoed his comments, saying there was no sign that Delta was out of place.
Dr Haseltine told Forbes: “It has established itself in Japan and the United States.
“In addition to several mutations, notably in the spike protein in common with variants of concern, R.1 possesses a set of unique mutations which may confer an additional advantage in terms of transmission, replication and immune suppression.”
In the United States, there have been 2,000 cases to date, the last having been detected in early August.
It accounted for around 1% of infections in the country in April, but that figure fell to almost 0% in July amid the spread of the Delta variant.
In the UK there have been 20 cases, with the last one spotted four months ago.
Neither the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor UK-based Public Health England have listed the variant as of concern or under investigation.
The graph above shows the percentage of Covid infections that were variant R.1 in the United States since April of last year. It reveals the variant was originally one percent of cases in April, but that has now dropped to zero percent
The graph above shows the proportion of Covid infections that were triggered by variant R.1 around the world. It reveals that the variant has almost disappeared amid the spread of Delta
The variant has been spotted 10,000 times and has spread to 37 countries. The graph above shows the countries that detected the most cases of the variant
The Covid R.1 variant was first spotted by scientists in Japan in February.
It has triggered more than 10,000 infections to date and has spread to 37 countries. But he was last spotted over a month ago.
The mutant strain carries mutations which, according to scientists, could make it more apt to evade vaccines, in particular E484K also observed on the South African variant “Beta”.
It is also believed to be more transmissible than the original virus as it carries mutations which have also been seen on the UK ‘Alpha’ variant.
Professor Pagel, director of the clinical operations research unit at University College London, said the variant did not appear to be of concern.
She told MailOnline: “It doesn’t appear to overtake Delta anywhere, so that doesn’t seem like a big threat to me – at least not yet.”
Professor Young told MailOnline it is important to keep an eye out for any emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind Covid.
But he added, “Delta appears to be outperforming all other variants right now. Delta may have reached the peak of transmissibility.
“Delta is now dominant in South Africa and has therefore overtaken the beta variant which is more resistant to the vaccine. ”
A variant R.1 outbreak in a Kentucky nursing home was reported in April by the CDC and the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
They said 46 residents tested positive for the virus, 22 of whom had been doubly vaccinated against Covid.
The report added that vaccinated people who caught Covid were 87% less likely to show symptoms than those who were not bitten.
This comes after the FDA-approved booster vaccines for adults over 65 and other vulnerable groups.
The agency said concerns about the infectious Delta variant meant that it was necessary to deploy the shots.
They are available to anyone who received their last dose at least six months ago.
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