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SARS-CoV-2 mutations are on the way. They are emerging from South Africa, Hawaii, China, and a variant from the United Kingdom is currently drawing the most attention. Let’s briefly look at what this means.

Every time someone is infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, they go through a replication cycle in which copies of the virus are made. Each time this occurs, the virus mutates and changes slightly. As the virus can spread so rapidly worldwide, there are some mutations that exhibit altered behaviors.

The variants B.1.1.7 (from the United Kingdom) and 501.V2 (from South Africa) show increased infectivity. Both variants carry the N501Y substitution in the spike protein, which allows them to bind more efficiently to ACE2 receptors. This leads to a faster spread of the virus. Some studies also suggest that a higher viral load may be present.

More noticeable mutations have also been identified in China (G614) and Hawaii (P681H). Although these variants have attracted less attention, further studies are needed to understand their impact on infectivity and disease severity.

There are now concerns that the vaccines may offer less protection. However, experts suspect that vaccination goals will not be compromised by the mutations, suggesting that the vaccines could still be effective against the new variants. Nonetheless, this has now become a race against time.

Vaccinations are currently progressing only slowly, and with a mutation that poses a 40 to 70% increased risk of infection, there is a danger that the variants may spread faster than vaccinations can be administered. This calls for an accelerated vaccination campaign.

Closing Words

SARS-CoV-2 mutations present a challenge, but vaccination remains an effective strategy for curbing the spread. It is crucial to accelerate vaccination campaigns while implementing stricter measures to contain the spread.