The COVID-19 Variants - Get the Facts!

What Are These New Variants?

In December a new strain of the COVID-19 virus was identified in London, England. According to the CDC as of January 8, 2021, this variant has been reported in eight U.S. states. In addition to the variant identified in the UK, B.1.1.7, there are other strains of concern, 501Y.V2 from S. Africa, and P.1 from Brazil, and a newly identified variant reported on January 20th, L452R, which was identified in Denmark and now noted in California. Although the variants are more transmissible, according to the experts they do not cause more severe disease. Dr. Robert Bollinger, MD, an expert in SARS-CoV2 viruses from Johns Hopkins has said that there is no indication at this time that these variants are causing more severe disease.

However, a recent Wall Street Journal article released on January 23, 2021 may indicate something different in that the UK variant is showing itself to be not only more transmissible, but there is a “realistic possibility” it is 40% to 50% more deadly. This information was based on advice given to the UK government from a newly formed advisory group, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group or Nervtag. This information was based on four studies that showed the new variant resulted in 1.36 to 1.91 more deaths. The authors of the paper did caution that the studies relied on a narrow subset of patients. More studies are under way to determine if part of the deaths were related to deaths in nursing homes.

Here in the US, the variant from the UK is turning out to be the strain identified most often and the CDC is saying that by March this will be the dominant strain. Currently, there are no cases of COVID-19 in the US that are the variant 501Y. V2 from S. Africa. Recently Pfizer gave some reassuring news in saying that in their current studies the Pfizer vaccine is effective against the UK variant. Given all this new information, the public is now asking what does it mean to have variant strains, how infectious are they and how will this impact the course of the pandemic?

Mutations Over Time?

According to the CDC, the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 can change and mutate over time. The spikes on the surface of the coronavirus can change and this is what allows variant viruses to occur. In some instances, variants can emerge and then disappear or they can remain and be more transmissible. The scientists who are studying these variants are concerned since these variants can have changes in the spike proteins on the surface of the virus. The concerning issue is that the current vaccines target and adhere to these spike proteins. If they are changed or mutated in any way, it can affect the vaccine's effectiveness. This is currently being studied by scientists, state labs, and academic medical centers.

What The Experts Are Saying.

In a recent news briefing at the White House Dr. Fauci addressed the variant strains and stated that although they are concerning and can be less affected by the vaccine, he encourages the public to still get vaccinated and get some protection. The vaccine becoming less effective would be all the more reason for as many people to get vaccinated. He stressed that enough people getting inoculated against COVID-19 would increase the chances of our country developing herd immunity.

Dr. Fauci emphasized that the variants are being studied and, if need be, any changes needed on the production of the vaccine will be addresses as more information is gathered. This will be labor-intensive, but it can be done. The variants will continue to be investigated and their effectiveness to the vaccine will be studied.

The Key Points to Know About the Variants

The information about the variants can be very confusing, but here are the main points that the public should know about the development of variant strains and what they should do:

  • The variant can be more transmissible and spread more quickly from person to person. That is why it is so important that the current public health precautions of wearing a mask, social distancing, and hand-washing are followed.

  • The variant strains are not dangerous or causing more severe COVID-19 disease or death. Although there has been recent information released regarding the UK variant possibly being more deadly, the scientist from the UK have said that the sample size for these studies were small and more studies need to be done in this area. Also important is that these studies have not been peer-reviewed as yet.

  • Mutated strains of the virus will continue to occur because this is what viruses do. Some mutated strains naturally become extinct and others survive.

  • Because variant strains are more transmissible, the public is encouraged to follow public health recommendations and should avoid large gatherings or being in crowds.

  • Scientists will continue to monitor the changes in the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its effects on the current vaccines. This is an ongoing process and vaccine development will be changed and tweaked as needed. Some scientists are saying that the covid vaccine going forward may need to be changed based on the predominant strains. This is what is currently done with the flu vaccine, but it is too early to make this statement. Variants and vaccine effectiveness will continue to be studied.