New COVID-19 Variants

What is a COVID-19 variant?

As evolution dictates, when it comes to survival, all living things must find the path of least resistance. For most viruses, that means infecting its host, and not killing it. But as a virus jumps from species to species and is introduced to a new genus for the first time, there’s usually no telling what could happen.

If a virus kills its host, it doesn’t get to survive. That’s why the nature of a virus means that it is always mutating — and fast. This is a process that occurs as the virus infects and begins to spread. 

This process then introduces small changes in the virus’s DNA, which can then result in differences in the way that the virus behaves as it looks for any chance to survive within its host longer or spread faster. This is what we refer to as a variant. 

The differences in variants may be slight, but they can have a large impact on various aspects, including the rate at which the virus can spread, the severity of the disease, and even the effectiveness of current vaccines. 

How many COVID-19 variants are there?

The question of COVID-19 variants is a complicated one to answer. In this study, more than 65,000 variants were discovered, and almost 6,000 of them had distinctive characteristics. Fortunately for us, most of these mutations are negative or neutral, meaning that they don’t ultimately result in a meaningful difference when it comes to the characteristics that we care about, like those mentioned above.

Currently, there are three main variants that are being closely monitored. They are: 

• Variant B.1.1.7

Variant B.1.1.7, originating from the UK and first discovered in October of 2020. Currently found in over 90 countries, and thought to be one of the main factors in the increased rate of infection in the UK, studies suggest that not only does it have a transmission rate somewhere between 43% to 90% higher than other variants, it also poses an increased risk of hospitalization and death.

• Variant B.1.351

Variant B.1.351, also known as 501Y.V2, this variant was first discovered in December of 2020 in South Africa. It has now spread to 48 countries, and while there is currently no evidence suggesting that this variant has any impact on the severity of the disease, researchers found that there is a good possibility that immunities granted by previous infection, and current vaccines, have reduced effectiveness. This seems to have been proven true, as vaccine producers like Moderna have already begun clinical trials on vaccines targeted specifically at this particular variant. 

• Variant P.1

Variant P.1, first discovered in Tokyo in January of 2021 in four people who had arrived from Brazil. It has since plagued an already devastated Manaus, and has spread to almost 30 different countries. Initial studies show that this variant has an infection rate twice that of the initial virus, and is 25% - 61% more likely to avoid immunities granted by previous infections, which means a second bout of COVID-19 in a previously infected person is not impossible.

These three variants have a higher transmission rate, are potentially resistant to current vaccines, and may occur in those who have already had COVID-19. At least one of the variants (the Brazilian variant) may also result in a disease with symptoms that are more severe. 

It should also be noted that the situation is constantly evolving, and there are several other variants that are still being investigated, such as Variant B.1.525 — first discovered in the UK and Nigeria in December, this variant shares similarities with Variant B.1.351 and Variant P.1; or the L452R mutation which is currently being linked to possible outbreaks in California. New variants are being discovered constantly, and we still don’t know how much of an impact they will ultimately have.

So, what do COVID-19 variants mean for me?

While these variants might seem scary, the situation hasn’t actually changed very much for the average person. We must continue to curb the transmission of the virus as much as possible in order to reduce transmission rates and bring the pandemic under control. These variants have made this even more urgent — the less the virus spreads and the less people are sick, the less chance it has to mutate. 

The fact that the variants appear to be much more transmissive is the main problem, and continuing to maintain the COVID-19 best practices is more important than ever: 

• Wear a mask

• Stay 6 feet away from others

• Avoid crowds

• Wash your hands

• Sanitize regularly

• Self-quarantine if you are sick 

What about COVID-19 vaccines?

Vaccines are just another tool in the fight — they are not a cure-all. Even if the variants are less receptive to current vaccine solutions, these vaccines can be tweaked in order to deal with variants as they appear, something that is already happening in the case of the South African variant. 

The best way to go about it is to continue to act as if you have not received a vaccine at all. Being vaccinated does not mean you cannot spread the virus to others who have not received the vaccine, regardless of its efficacy for you personally. 

It should be noted that as of February 22, 2021, the FDA stated that “...the FDA-authorized vaccines remain effective in protecting the American public against currently circulating strains of SARS-CoV-2”. 

Additionally, it’s important to note that protection from vaccines for people over 65 varies, and in some cases, is not as robust/may not last as long as younger people. In some studies, the immunity for those 65 and older is only 50-60% that of younger generations. However, we are still learning a lot about how the vaccines work, so please keep checking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for more. 

Whether this will continue to be true is currently unknown, but getting vaccinated is still a good idea. We know that at the very least it offers more protection against the various strains of COVID-19 than not getting vaccinated would.