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Scientists in the United States have detected a mutated version of the COVID-19 variant which was first discovered in Britain. According to the New York Times, American scientists have called the local version of the British variant of great “concern” because of its highly transmissible quality. Scientists said existing COVID-19 vaccines may be even less effective against the new mutated version.
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The mutated version of the British variant B.1.1.7 was identified in Oregon, which scientists say did not originate in another part of the world and likely developed in the country itself. The new version of the virus has an “E484K” mutation, which is seen in variants detected in Brazil, South Africa and New York.
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Scientists in South Africa have concluded that existing vaccines are not as effective against the E484K mutation. Drugmakers are working to fine-tune their existing vaccines to make them more effective against new emerging variants of COVID-19.
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So far, only one case has been identified with the mutation, but health experts fear the person has taken it from the community. The mutation has already been discovered in the UK, where it has been called a “variant of concern” by scientists.
New variant discovered in the United Kingdom
British scientists recently discovered a new variant of the COVID-19 virus in the UK. The new strain of the COVID-19 virus is called VUI-202102/04, where VUI stands for “virus under investigation”. The new variant was reportedly designated VUI on February 24, about ten days after it was first discovered. Public Health England (PHE) said on Thursday that all people who tested positive for the new variant have been isolated, including those who have come in contact with them.
Read: British scientists discover new variant of COVID-19, 16 cases detected so far
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