Epsilon: 4 keys to understanding the new variant that threatens to fight vaccine immunity

A year and a half after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the emergence and spread of new variants are alarming authorities in all countries, especially those like Argentina, where there is still some way to go to complete the vaccination Population. . In recent days, the variant delta it has been a topic of conversation all over the world. Just to give an example, in the United States, the Delta variant already accounts for more than half of COVID-19 cases in this country

Now, the mutation of the coronavirus known as Epsilon, first recorded in California, has started raising alarms, especially after a study by the biochemist of the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, Matthew McCallum, published in the journal Science, where he warns against resistance to certain vaccines of this variant.

At these times, many scientists are doomed to determine the danger of Epsilon. The Argentinian infectologist, Eduardo López, recalled a few days ago that this strain “is starting to circulate, we must see if this impact is so significant or not, we will have to wait a little”, He said. For the moment “we have had enough with Delta” which is in global circulation “, he added.

The Nation’s Health Ministry reported to date five cases of delta variant in the country, but not its community circulation. Last Friday, this wallet and the Malbrán Institute reported a Infobae that two people with the Delta variant have been detected coronavirus in the country, but they assured that Argentina does not register community traffic of this worrying variant.

Through whole genome sequencing, the Epsilon variant was detected in Argentina in six cases: four from the province of Cordoba (three from Río Tercero and one from the capital Cordoba) and one from the capital Santa Fe. According to the information available, none have a history of travel or close contact with travelers.

Infobae contacted several infectologists to do a current x-ray of the Epsilon variant. Could it be more dangerous than the Delta? Should we be worried in Argentina? Does it have greater transmissibility? Here, four keys:

1. What do we know about Epsilon?

This is a variant first identified in early 2021 in California called CAL 20C (B.1.427 / B.1.429). “According to the GISAID database It is already present in 44 countries, from the United States to South Korea, via India and Japan. In America, in addition to the United States, the variant has been detected in Mexico and Chile and in our country the Argentine Inter-Institutional Genomics Project (PAIS) has reported its detection in the province of Córdoba and the capital of Santa Fe.», Explains the infobae, Mirna Biglione, researcher at the Institute for Biomedical Research on Retroviruses and AIDS, which depends on the University of Buenos Aires and CONICET, and member of the Argentinian Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,

2. Why it may be more resistant to antibodies generated by vaccines

Martín Hojman, doctor specializing in infectious diseases, member of the Argentinian Society of Infectology maintains that the two the Delta and Epsilon are worrying variants. “Apparently Epsilon, due to its 3 mutations in the Spike protein, would make it more resistant to antibodies generated by vaccines, so far tested in Pfizer and Moderna RNA vaccines, ”Hojman describes. And he adds “Also to those generated by people who already had COVID.”

Biglione maintains this precisely, as it has three mutations in the SARS-Cov-2 spike (S) protein, they make it more “able” to escape the immune system, both from the plasma of people who have been exposed to the virus and people vaccinated even with mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer). “A study from the University of Washington published in the scientific journal Science describes that this variant can escape specific monoclonal antibodies. In any event, the impact that this decrease in antibody protection could have is not known with certainty and so far no difference has been observed in clinical manifestations or impact on the immune system. health as is the case with Delta, ”explains the researcher. .

3. Heavy traffic but little mortality compared to Delta and other variants

For infctologist Ricardo Teijeiro, Epsilón is a variant which “is more contagious than the usual variants, and which has a certain immunological loophole that the vaccines may not be as effective as the first variants”. And he continues, “It’s not that bad, that is, these aren’t variations that impact mortality, apparently he’s got a lot of circulation but they’re not that much more aggressive. ”

Jorge Levalle, infectious medicine doctor at Pirovano Hospital and member of the Argentinian Society of Infectious Diseases, explains to Infobae that two things need to be taken into account about this variant: “First, the mutations exhibited by the Epsilon variant reduce, according to the latest studies, two or three times the potency against antibodies induced by vaccines using RNA. In addition, it reduces the effectiveness of antibodies that can be generated by a patient who had previously had COVID. The good news according to the latest work is that it is less transmissible than delta, which has 60% more transmissibility. All of this is under study. What if for now we were concerned about the delta variant that we have around the corner and which may be causing us a bigger problem. “

The Delta variant of concern is highly transmissible and exhibits the ability to evade the immune system. “Based on data from the UK health agency,” Public Health England “(PHE), It is estimated to be 64% more transmissible than the Alpha variant and with a capacity for reinfection (greater if the infection was with Beta or Gamma). These characteristics have again led to an increase in hospital admissions in patients with co-morbidities. Although some countries have stopped using the nose cover, given this worrying variant (VOC) on Friday, June 25, the World Health Organization recommended that vaccinated people continue to use it, and some countries have resumed containment, although this did not happen. same for Epsilon which is a variant of interest (VOI) but not alarming and its prevalence has been declining since January in California where it reached 49% to reach 1.9% in June, while Delta continues to increase “Biglione explains.

4. Getting vaccinated remains the question

What danger does this variant represent? “The danger is that if it spreads, the immunity caused by the vaccines might not be useful and new waves of a large number of infections could occur, all of this needs to be better studied and also see what happens. happens in practice. For example, with the delta, many cases have been observed in vaccinated people but much less serious, ”says Hojman like his colleagues. This is why it recommends: “Maintain measures of distancing, ventilation, limitation of income in the country and strict isolation of those who do so, and hygiene.”

Teijerio concludes: “What we have to say is that as many people as possible should be vaccinated with the full schedule accordingly. Despite everything, we must continue to take care of ourselves with all the preventive measures, by distancing ourselves, by using the chinstrap, by being outside, until we can contain the circulation of the virus ”.

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