SARS-CoV-2 has developed a disturbing new mutation in the UK

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is far from over as it continues to wreak havoc around the world. To date, more than 104 million people have been infected since the start of the pandemic in December 2019.

In recent months, increasing cases have been reported due to new, rapidly spreading variants. Now, Public Health England (PHE) is investigating cases of COVID-19 with worrying new genetic changes. The E484K mutation, which could allow SARS-CoV-2 to escape the protection of antibodies, has been observed in a small group of cases in some parts of the country.

The E484K mutation

The new mutation is of concern because it could have an impact on the effectiveness of the vaccine. The E484K mutation, which occurs on the virus spike protein, is the same change reported in variants found in South Africa and Brazil.

The mutation was seen in the B.1.351 coronavirus variant, which was first identified in South Africa in October 2020. Previous reports have shown COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapy to be less effective against the South African strain.

For example, a new study has shown that the E484K mutation may require more antibodies to prevent the virus grown in the lab from infecting cells. Additionally, a vaccine candidate, Novavax, announced that the vaccine was 89% effective in its Phase 3 human trial in the UK. However, it only appeared to be 60% effective in a phase 2b trial in South Africa.

In the Johnson & Johnson Phase 3 trial, vaccine efficacy varied by country. The United States has an efficiency level of 72%, compared to 57% in South Africa. In both trials, about 90-95% of South African cases were linked to the B.1.351 variant, which contains the E484K mutation.

Now, the E484K mutation has been detected in B.1.1.7 VOC 202012/01, the rapidly spreading variant of SARS-CoV-2 which has caused an outbreak of cases across the world.

Also known as the British “Kent” variant with the E484K mutation, it was seen in 11 of 214,159 samples tested by scientists working with PHE. The cases originated mainly from the southwest of England. Scientists fear the variant has already spread and more cases have yet to be found.

It also appears that some of the samples acquired the mutation independently, instead of spreading from a single case. Preliminary information suggests more than one acquisition event, hinting that the new mutation may have already spread across the country.

Scientists fear that the new mutation could impact the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, which have been deployed in many countries.

What can be done?

The UK health sector is working to increase the detection of suspected cases to determine the extent of the virus’s spread. This way, positive cases can be isolated immediately to prevent the virus from spreading.

Health experts believe aggressive testing, adherence to infection control measures and rapid vaccine deployment are key to containing the spread of the virus. At the same time, these can fight against the spread of new variants.

The E484K mutation may increase the ability of the virus to escape neutralization by antibodies. This means that current vaccines may not work as well, affecting the effectiveness rates of these vaccines. Further studies are needed to determine how these mutations occur and if they would impact the vaccines given.