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This post is courtesy of Vivian Gao.
Recently, new variants of the coronavirus have been discovered in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Both strains, the B.1.1.7 lineage and B.1.3451 lineage, appear as mutations affecting the spike protein of the coronavirus, which is the portion that binds to human cells. Mutations of viruses is a common occurrence, as with time, viruses frequently mutate, as the increased diversity of viruses increases survivability rates. Thought to be 70 percent more transmissible than the original strain, the B.1.1.7 lineage has also been detected in several locations in the United States. The increased transmissibility does not signify a more severe disease, although cases are likely to increase overall.
With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in the United States, the push for the development of vaccines and treatments against COVID-19 has been more urgent than ever. Currently, two vaccines have been approved for emergency use in the United States: the Moderna and the Pfizer RNA vaccines. These vaccines operate by identifying the spike proteins of the virus and providing protection against them. Thus, with the rise in new variants of the coronavirus that affect the spike protein, additional research is being conducted on the efficacy of the vaccines against the new variants.
In terms of whether the vaccine is resistant to new variants, results from current research and speculation are promising. A new study from Pfizer and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has suggested that the N501Y mutation, the mutation in spike protein associated with the new variants in the United Kingdom and South Africa, does not decrease the potency of the vaccines. There is additional ambiguity concerning the variant in South Africa, as the variant includes other mutations than the N501Y mutation that similarly affect the spike protein. One of these mutations is the E484K mutation, and while preliminary research has suggested that convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies are less effective against strains with the E484K mutation, scientists still speculate that the vaccines are effective against the new variants. The Pfizer and Moderna RNA vaccines operate by producing an immune response against the spike protein of the coronavirus, and this immune response is thought to be broad enough where it is likely that the vaccine may respond to most variants of the virus.
Overall, the same safety measures are effective against all variants of the coronavirus. These safety measures include wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth, washing your hands, and physically distancing yourself from others, and experts continue to urge individuals to follow these safety measures.
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