New Delhi: The new variant of SARS-COV-2, a virus that causes Covid-19, has been detected in South Africa and many other countries globally can transmit and avoid protection provided by vaccines, according to research.
Scientists from the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NiCD) and research innovation and research sequence of KwaZulu-Natal (KRP) in South Africa said the potential variant of interest, C.1.2, was first detected in this country in May this year in May This year.
C.1.2 Since it was found in China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, England, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland on August 13, they said.
According to peer-reviewed research that has not been reviewed in the Pracrint Medrxiv repository on August 24, C.1.2 has mutated substantially compared to C.1, one of the lineages that dominated SARS-COV-2 infection in the first wave in South Africa.
This new variant has more mutations than other awareness (VOC) variants or variants (VOIS) detected throughout the world so far, researchers said.
They noted that the number of sequences available from C.1.2 can be less representation of the deployment and frequency of variants in South Africa and throughout the world.
This study found a consistent increase in the number of C.1.2 genomes in South Africa every month, up from 0.2 percent genomes sorted in May to 1.6 percent in June and then at 2 percent in July.
“This is similar to the increase seen with beta and delta variants in this country during early detection,” said the author of the study.
According to this study, C.1.2 Lineage has a mutation rate of around 41.8 mutations per year, which is about twice as fast as the current global mutation rate of other variants.
More than half of the C.1.2 sequence has 14 mutations, but additional variations have been considered in several sequences.
“Even though this mutation occurs in the majority of C.1.2 viruses, there are additional variations in the area of ​​this lineage surge, showing the ongoing intra-lineage evolution,” said the writer of this study.
About 52 percent of the mutations in the spike area of ​​the previous C.1.2 sequence have been seen on VOC and other VOIs.
Spike proteins are used by the SARS-COV-2 virus to infect and enter human cells, and most vaccines target this region.
Mutation N440K and Y449H, which have been associated with the escape of immune from certain antibodies, have also been considered in the order of C.1.2.
“While this mutation is not the current VOC / VOIS characteristic, they have been associated by escaping from certain class 3 neutralization antibodies,” the writers wrote.
They note that this mutation along with changes in other parts of the virus is likely to help virus dodge antibodies, and immune responses, including patients who have developed antibodies for alpha or beta variants.
“While the phenotypic and epidemiological characteristics of C.1.2 are being defined, it is important to highlight this lineage considering the constellation of mutations,” added the author.