5 un-unkown things about variants

 5 un-unkown things about variants

Over the last year, I've spent a lot of time talking with colleagues at our foundation and throughout the world on approaches to screen for, treat, and prevent COVID-19. In recent months, researchers at these meetings have frequently asked the same question: How will new varieties affect our attempts to stop the pandemic?

The globe has gone a long way in the fight against COVID-19, but new versions of the virus may jeopardize the advances gained in the last year. Here are five things you need know about variations if you want to grasp how they are (or aren't) complicating the pandemic.

1. If you've ever had a flu vaccine, you've previously encountered a virus variety.

Viruses are constantly evolving. Unless you work with infectious diseases, the concept of a "variant" may seem strange and frightening—but they aren't. Because of influenza's capacity to change swiftly (more on this in the next section), we get a new flu vaccination every year. To keep up with the continuously changing flu virus strains, the vaccination must be updated on a yearly basis.

To understand why the virus that causes COVID-19 is evolving, you must first understand how it functions (or spreads) in your body. Like all viruses, the coronavirus has only one goal: to replicate itself. When the virus infects your cells, it tricks the cell into following the instructions encoded in its RNA to replicate the virus.

When the cell creates a new virus, it must replicate those instructions. If you've ever had to retype something without making a mistake in school, you understand how difficult it is. The virus that causes COVID-19 has a code that is approximately 30,000 letters long. That's a lot of opportunity for the coronavirus to screw up, which it frequently does.

Most errors result in a virus that can either not reproduce or is functionally equivalent. However, every once in a while, the changes facilitate an infection or evasion of the immune system by the virus. A new variety occurs when this change begins to propagate through a population.

2. Mutation popping up again and again can be a good news and answers. 

All viruses develop, however not all viruses develop equally and equally. Some change quickly, like illness. Some slowly mutate. Fortunately to us, in the latter camp there is SARS-CoV-2. It mutates roughly half as quickly as the flu virus.

I realize that it feels like new versions appear all the time. This is because there are so many viruses around the world that give it more chances to evolve. Once the number of cases goes down, I predict that we will see a lot less new variants appear.

I know it feels like fresh versions are always appearing. Because so many viruses around the world provide greater opportunities for development. When the number of instances decreases, I predict that there will be much fewer new varieties.

The virus coronavirus is a much simpler virus compared to flu virus—which consists of 8 genetic segments which can be rearranged in many different ways. The most noteworthy alterations we have ever seen occurred in the same place: the spike protein that shoots out of the virus' surface.

The spike protein is the main factor for COVID propagation. The virus is shaped to capture human cells. If the peak protein changes a little, it can bind better with the cells or make it harder for the immune system to target. The spiked protein is more transmissible (which makes people more susceptible to it). But the virus can no longer get the entry that is vital to its life cycle if it changes too much.

This restricted ability to modify may explain why we continue to observe the same mutations in different sites and not many different variations. Both B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 (discovered originally in the United Kingdom) have developed independently, however they have some mutations that are the same as those reported in South Africa. These unique mutations are definitely something that makes them more successful than any other alteration

Because of this restricted ability for change, we may continue to see the same mutations arise in different places rather than a plethora of separate variations.

3. The virus is changing its spread but the stage where pandemic should end is now the problem. 

For the past year, public health experts have been repeating a same message: we must control COVID-19 as much as possible until the vaccine is developed and available for everyone.

The good news is that several of the vaccinations already in use appear to protect against severe disease, even from novel variations. This demonstrates how efficient immunizations are in general. We still need a lot more data on how effective each vaccination is against the various variations, but many of the early results are encouraging (especially out of Israel, where many people are already vaccinated and the B.1.1.7 strain is dominant).

The main question now is whether the vaccines need to be updated to target the variations. If deemed necessary, regulators and drug companies are working on a modified vaccine that might be available in a couple of months. In the United States, where the vast majority of individuals will have been immunized by the end of the summer, some people may require a booster shot to protect against further strains.

For the time being, the most important thing is to continue to adhere to best practices. The greatest strategy to prevent the emergence of new varieties is to cease the virus's transmission entirely. If we continue to be cautious about social isolation, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated, we will be able to end the epidemic much sooner.

4.Variants make it even more critical that vaccines be made widely available.

COVID-19 is a menace to public health everywhere. That was true of the original virus, and it is still true of variations.

The longer the virus that causes COVID-19 exists in the globe, the more opportunity it has to evolve—and to create new ways to combat human defenses. We'll have to live with the prospect of a much worse strain of the virus emerging if we don't get the vaccine to every corner of the globe. We might even see a new variety evolve that is immune to all existing vaccines.

That is something that no one wants to happen. The greatest method to ensure that it does not is to provide the vaccine to everyone who needs it, regardless of where they live. That is why, through the COVAX initiative, our foundation is collaborating with governments, vaccine makers, organizations such as CEPI and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and others to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to low-income nations.

COVAX recently stated that it will be able to supply 300 million doses by the middle of 2021. That is fantastic news, but the world will require much more if we are to fully eliminate the threat of COVID-19. I hope that rich countries continue to fund COVAX's work as life returns to normal in various areas of the world during the summer.

5.We can do great next time 

Virus variations are unavoidable. If we ever find ourselves in a pandemic situation where a pathogen is spreading over the world, we should anticipate it to evolve to survive our efforts to halt it, just as we witnessed with COVID-19. I'm hoping that the difference next time is that we'll be better prepared to identify these variants earlier.

The key will be genetic sequencing in tandem with improved disease surveillance. At the moment, if you test positive for COVID-19, your test sample may be chosen to be sequenced. Researchers can now read the exact 30,000 letter code that makes up the virus's RNA instructions. This code is then uploaded to a database, where a computer compares the virus in your sample to all other strains in circulation. If a novel strain begins to appear in your area, scientists can compare the sequence data to transmission, death, and hospitalization rates to see whether there is cause for alarm.

To detect variations early, researchers must employ a methodical technique. Some scientists believe that sequencing at least 5% of all test samples is required to obtain an accurate picture of how a pathogen is mutating—although sequencing a high number of samples alone is not sufficient. The United Kingdom analyzed roughly 8% of its tests and combined that data with their surveillance capabilities, allowing them to identify that B.1.1.7 was spreading considerably faster and was more dangerous. By comparing clinical trial findings to sequencing data, South Africa was able to swiftly see how vaccinations performed against B.1.351.

The tools we're developing to track mutations in this pandemic will be important even after the worst of COVID-19 has passed. Any plan to prepare for the next epidemic should include widespread sequencing. If you undertake enough sequencing and compare the results to other measurements, you can detect potentially harmful variations as they develop. The earlier you detect a change, the more time you have to investigate it and, if necessary, fine-tune vaccines and medicines to address any changes that have occurred.

There is little doubt that variations hamper our attempts to bring this pandemic to a stop. Even when the worst has passed, we must remain cautious. Fortunately, we know what to do to prevent them from appearing. For the time being, the best way to protect yourself is to follow public health guidelines and be vaccinated as soon as you are able.