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Alpha B.1.1.7 Variant of COVID19 coronavirus thread

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  • Alpha B.1.1.7 Variant of COVID19 coronavirus thread

    https://news.sky.com/story/new-varia...-says-12161416

    New variant' of coronavirus identified in UK, health secretary says

    It is "highly unlikely" the new mutation would not respond to a coronavirus vaccine, Mr Hancock told the Commons today.

    More than 1,000 cases of the new variant have been found, "predominantly in the south of England", Mr Hancock told the House of Commons this afternoon.

    It is spreading faster than the existing strain of the virus and believed to be fuelling the "very sharp, exponential rises" in cases across the South East, he said.
    Last edited by kiwibird; January 10, 2021, 07:52 AM.
    "The only security we have is our ability to adapt."

  • #2

    New variant of Covid could be behind fast spread, Matt Hancock announces


    ‘Initial analysis suggests this variant is growing faster than the existing variants,’ says health secretary


    more...


    Comment


    • #3
      BBC interview live. Matt Hancock states that one in three infected is asymptomatic.
      "The only security we have is our ability to adapt."

      Comment


      • #4
        Is the vaccine effective against the new coronavirus strain? Everything you need to know

        More than 1,000 infections related to new variant reported across nearly 60 different local authorities in England, says government

        Samuel Lovett
        54 minutes ago

        ... That particular strain has shown “moderately decreased sensitivity” to the body’s neutralising antibodies, but there have been no indications it could impact the effectiveness of a vaccine, despite apparent genetic changes to the virus’ spike protein.

        The UK’s new strain contains similar mutations to the spike receptor, which is the target of the majority of vaccines currently in development, but Dr Andrew Davidson, a reader in virology at the University of Bristol, does not believe this will present a significant issue.
        ...


        Comment


        • #5

          Update on new SARS-CoV-2 variant and how COG-UK tracks emerging mutations

          COG-UK 14 Dec 2020

          Since its creation COG-UK has been supporting genomic surveillance efforts to identify variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the genome sequencing data from the UK.

          New SARS-CoV-2 variant

          The variant described today in the House of Commons contains a novel set of mutations associated with a lineage spreading rapidly in the South East of England (and more widely) that is the subject of ongoing investigations by the UK Public Health Agencies, coordinated by Public Health England and supported by COG-UK. This variant carries a set of mutations including an N501Y mutation in the receptor binding motif of the Spike protein that the virus uses to bind to the human ACE2 receptor.

          Efforts are under way to confirm whether or not any of these mutations are contributing to increased transmission. There is currently no evidence that this variant (or any other studied to date) has any impact on disease severity, or that it will render vaccines less effective, although both questions require further studies performed at pace. We will provide further updates as our investigations proceed.




          Comment


          • #6
            New coronavirus strain spreading in UK has key mutations, scientists say

            LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists are trying to establish whether the rapid spread in southern England of a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is linked to key mutations they have detected in the strain, they said on Tuesday.
            British scientists are trying to establish whether the rapid spread in southern England of a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is linked to key mutations they have detected in the strain, they said on Tuesday.
            ?Addressing chronic disease is an issue of human rights ? that must be our call to arms"
            Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief The Lancet

            ~~~~ Twitter:@GertvanderHoek ~~~ GertvanderHoek@gmail.com ~~~

            Comment


            • #7
              Informative Twitter thread with several links:



              Dr Emma Hodcroft
              Dec 14

              As far as I know, the #SARSCoV2 variant identified by Hancock today is defined by a spike mutation at position 501 N->Y & a double-deletion at positions 69/70.
              You can see it in orange in the dedicated Neher Lab S:N501 @nextstrain build below https://nextstrain.org/groups/neherlab/ncov/S.N501?c=gt-S_501,69&label=mlabel:20B/A23063T&p=grid…

              Comment


              • #8
                PHE investigating a novel strain of COVID-19

                Published 14 December 2020
                From:Public Health England

                The strain was identified due to Public Health England’s (PHE) proactive and enhanced monitoring following the increase in cases seen in Kent and London.

                The variant has been named ‘VUI – 202012/01’ (the first Variant Under Investigation in December 2020).

                A new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified across the South East of England.

                Comment


                • #9

                  I think, the deletion happened independently
                  at least 4 times in different strains,
                  even in the original with 614D.
                  The Danish strain with N439K is one of them.
                  The B.1.1.7 with N501Y and many mutations
                  of unclear origin is another.



                  37 (out of 40000) at genbank with N501Y , mainly Australia, different strain.

                  That B1.1.7 has 25 Mutations ! It suddenly appeared in UK in Sept., it's unclear where it came from,
                  where it achieved these 25 mutations.

                  strange are also these mutations at 3 consecutive positions : 28280-2 and 28881-3 (ORF8)
                  I don't remember having seen that before

                  ORF8 is a rapidly evolving accessory protein that has been proposed to interfere with immune responses.

                  ----------------edit---------------------
                  @arambaut 1h
                  Our current hypothesis is a substantial role for a chronically infected individual
                  (unsampled) with a transmission late in the infection.
                  In fact, personally I think it is the only likely explanation.


                  Last edited by gsgs; December 16, 2020, 06:53 AM.
                  I'm interested in expert panflu damage estimates
                  my current links: http://bit.ly/hFI7H ILI-charts: http://bit.ly/CcRgT

                  Comment


                • #10
                  Fast-spreading strain of mutated coronavirus is found in Wales and Scotland

                  Scientists warn the VUI – 202012/01 variant appears to be spreading faster than other forms and is appearing most in areas of the country where infection rates are rising quickest

                  15:46, 15 DEC 2020
                  UPDATED19:31, 15 DEC 2020
                  By Martin Bagot Health and Science editor

                  The new mutated form of coronavirus has now spread to Wales and Scotland.
                  Experts analysing the genetic code of the variant say it is believed to have originated in South East England and was not imported from abroad.

                  Scientists contributing to the Government surveillance programme warn the VUI – 202012/01 variant appears to be spreading faster than other forms.

                  ... The network of experts said VUI – 202012/01 has caused concern because it is appearing most in areas of the country where infection rates are rising quickest.

                  They were also concerned because it displays 17 changes to the original virus - many more than previous variants detected by their surveillance.

                  ... The Mirror reported today how one in ten Londoners who caught the novel coronavirus last month were infected with the new strain, according to an expert.

                  Dr Andrew Page, who is at the forefront of research work into Covid-19, has said the virus's new strain "came out of nowhere".

                  In the month since detection in October the mutated virus, which has been named VUI – 202012/01, has infected 19.2% of all new Covid-19 patients in Norfolk.

                  https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politi...covid-23172171

                  Comment


                  • #11
                    Major patient backlog at Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham

                    Emergency planners in Kent have met over concerns ambulances won't be able to get some patients into hospitals.

                    Increasing Covid numbers have seen casualty departments stretched to their limits.

                    <snip>
                    A Medway hospital worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said how at one point yesterday they counted 18 ambulances outside.

                    This meant an average of six-hour waits to get people in to be seen.

                    They also confirmed that Covid patients were now commonplace in every ward, including children's wards.

                    Also a "high number" of teenagers had been admitted with the illness.

                    <snip>

                    Ambulances are battling to transfer patients into the county's biggest hospital as staff there battle to deal with the level of Covid cases.

                    Comment


                    • #12
                      We must stop/contain/eliminate B.1.1.7 , it could be dangerous.
                      17 aa-mutations plus 3 deletions and most in spike.
                      See how quickly it emerged from zero to widespread.
                      The world hopes that Britain won't export it .
                      The EU should contribute to the costs.

                      ---------------------------------------
                      who are MILK-9E05B3 and MILK-9E2FE0 from Sep20 ?
                      Where did they get it from ?
                      -----------------------------------------


                      I'm interested in expert panflu damage estimates
                      my current links: http://bit.ly/hFI7H ILI-charts: http://bit.ly/CcRgT

                      Comment


                      • #13
                        I have personal feedback from front line medics who are noting more extreme lactic acid build ups in patients from new variant (marker for septic shock). Too early to say about effects on mortality etc.

                        Comment


                        • Emily
                          Emily commented
                          Editing a comment
                          More lactic acid doesn't sound good. Any chance those cases are from a further mutation of the new variant?

                        • gsgs
                          gsgs commented
                          Editing a comment
                          one of these mutations in B.1.1.7 makes a stop-codon in ORF8,
                          thus effectively stopping the virus from using that protein.
                          Just as in the 382-deletion variant early in Singapore.

                          > After adjusting for age and presence of comorbidities,
                          > infection with the ∆382 variant only was associated
                          > with lower odds of developing hypoxia requiring
                          > supplemental oxygen (adjusted odds ratio
                          > 0?07 [95% CI 0?00–0?48]) compared with infection
                          > with wild-type virus only.

                          ----------------------------------------------
                          >, none of the patients in which the Δ382
                          > variant were detected required intensive care unit admission or invasive mechanical
                          > ventilation, compared to 16% and 11%, respectively, for the wild-type strain


                          so, that might be good.
                          While I just tweeted this were potentially dangerous and should be stopped

                        • Vibrant62
                          Vibrant62 commented
                          Editing a comment
                          Emily - too early to say. New variant is currently entered in the south east and appears to be responsible for an explosion in case numbers, and pressures are escalating in hospitals. Also some reported change in profiles of hospitalised patients, yet to be verified. We will have to be patient before we have accurate facts and more work done to assess the impacts of the changes. 17 mutations is quite significant, with the majority on the spike, there has to be some effects.

                      • #14
                        Also in Denmark -


                        snip


                        The new variant is currently present in the UK and Denmark only, according to European scientists tracking the genetic mutations of the virus.

                        Dr de Gascun said this highlighted the continued importance of surveillance and maintaining public health measures.

                        Immunologist Prof Paul Moynagh said people should not rush to be concerned over the newly identified mutation.


                        Comment


                        • #15
                          MILLIONS of festive family bubbles could see their Christmas clobbered amid chilling new fears of the mutant Covid strain.

                          Boris Johnson was last night in emergency talks over travel curbs for London and the South East which could be announced today.

                          The emergency meeting came as medics issued a chilling warning that the new virus strain is 50 per cent more contagious than previous Covid-19 cases.

                          <snip>

                          BORIS Johnson will today address the nation after summoning his Cabinet for crunch talks amid fears of a new coronavirus lockdown that is poised to ruin Christmas for millions. The PM is expected t…


                          (Okieman comment: I am not from the UK and do not know how trustworthy The Sun is. If the portion of text up above which I have made bold is true then it is a very bad development.)

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