Maine Journal - May 2021
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<strong>May</strong>, June, July <strong>2021</strong> ANA <strong>Maine</strong> <strong>Journal</strong> Page 5<br />
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samples<br />
Brazil variant (P. 1)<br />
Where and when was it discovered?<br />
Sequencing studies found the variant in Brazil, mainly in Rio de Janeiro, as early as<br />
July. Researchers in Japan discovered it in travelers from Brazil in January.<br />
Where is it now?<br />
It has been confirmed in more than two dozen countries, including Japan, Spain<br />
and New Zealand. On Jan. 25, Minnesota health officials confirmed the first U.S.<br />
case of this variant in a resident with recent travel history to Brazil. It has since been<br />
found in at least 18 states.<br />
What makes it different?<br />
The variant has more than a dozen alterations, several of which are found on<br />
the virus’s spike protein, which binds the virus to a cell. Because of that, researchers<br />
think the strain is probably more transmissible. There is also some early evidence<br />
that antibodies might not recognize the P.1 variant, which could lead to reinfection.<br />
Will vaccines work?<br />
There’s no strong evidence right now suggesting that vaccines won’t work<br />
against the variant first identified in Brazil. However, scientists have raised the<br />
possibility that this variant can evade antibodies, which would impact the current<br />
vaccines’ effectiveness.<br />
A study of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine published in March determined that it was<br />
highly effective at neutralizing the variant found in Brazil. Moderna has announced<br />
that it would develop a new vaccine tailored to a similar variant in case an updated<br />
shot becomes necessary.<br />
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Minnesota<br />
The Denmark/California mutation (L452R)<br />
Where and when was it discovered?<br />
This mutation was detected in Denmark in March.<br />
Where is it now?<br />
A variant with this mutation was found in California this winter and became<br />
dominant there over five months, eventually making up more than half of infections<br />
in 44 of the state’s 58 counties. This mutation has also been confirmed in several<br />
other states.<br />
British officials identify coronavirus mutations, but significance remains unclear<br />
How can we protect ourselves from the variants?<br />
The same protective measures that have warded off the virus throughout the<br />
pandemic — maintaining social distance, wearing masks and washing our hands —<br />
are even more critical in the face of more transmissible variants. Those guidelines<br />
will simultaneously keep you from becoming ill from one of those variants, while<br />
making it harder for the virus to mutate in the first place.<br />
“Viruses don’t mutate unless they replicate,” Fauci said in January.<br />
But it’s also important for scientists to learn as much as they can about these<br />
variants, in case there are specific ways we can slow their spread. Until the research<br />
exists, we can’t make assumptions about what new variants will do.<br />
What do the variants mean for vaccines?<br />
“We need to get as many people vaccinated with the current vaccine that we<br />
have as we possibly can … and prepare for the potential eventuality that we might<br />
have to update this vaccine sometime in the future.” — Fauci in January<br />
As more significant variants are reported, the obvious (and arguably most<br />
important) question is whether the vaccines will work on them. Some of the<br />
mutations have sparked particular concern because they affect the spikes on the<br />
virus, which is what the vaccines target.<br />
In short, the pharmaceutical companies are testing new variants against their<br />
vaccines and spinning up new trials. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech can update their<br />
vaccines quickly because of their mRNA technology, which can be reprogrammed to<br />
target new variants.<br />
Pfizer and Moderna have run tests on the variants and while the vaccines still<br />
triggered a response, they appeared to be less effective.<br />
A growing number of scientists anticipate that we will eventually need something<br />
similar to the annual flu shot — companies will periodically update their vaccines to<br />
match the prevalent coronavirus variants, and we will need to get boosters to stay<br />
protected.<br />
“With flu, we need to adapt the vaccines. We can see that already,” said<br />
Ravindra Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Cambridge.<br />
“The companies do realize there is a problem in the longer term, and they will deal<br />
with it just as we have done with flu every year.”<br />
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What makes it different?<br />
There is evidence that this mutation enhances the virus’s ability to bind to human<br />
receptor cells, making it more transmissible. Some scientists are urging public-health<br />
officials to declare the variant with this mutation circulating in California a “variant<br />
of concern,” which would make it the first homegrown variant with this label.<br />
Will vaccines work?<br />
Some scientists think this mutation might make the virus more resistant to<br />
vaccines because the mutation is in the spike protein, which enables the virus to<br />
attach to cells. But scientists also say that more study is needed before they can<br />
draw conclusions.<br />
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Another coronavirus variant linked to growing share of cases, several large<br />
outbreaks, in California<br />
The original variant (D614G)<br />
Where and when was it discovered?<br />
This mutation, known to scientists simply as “G,” was discovered in China in<br />
January 2020. It soon spread through New York City and Europe.<br />
Where is it?<br />
The “G” mutation has become ubiquitous. By July, about 70 percent of the<br />
50,000 genomes of the coronavirus uploaded by researchers worldwide to a shared<br />
database carried the variant.<br />
What makes it different?<br />
Some scientists think this mutation is significantly more transmissible than the<br />
original strain of the virus. That’s because this variant has four to five times more<br />
spikes on its surface. Those spikes enable the virus to latch onto and infect cells. But<br />
other scientists still contest the greater transmissibility.<br />
Will vaccines work?<br />
The G variant was the dominant strain when 2020 vaccine trials took place. The<br />
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed a 95 percent efficacy in trials.<br />
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