As the world continues to battle the SARS-Cov-2 virus, the mutants being sequenced suggest a grim chance of avoiding a very possible third wave. The mutation landscape of SARS-CoV-2 has been under constant global scrutiny to understand the effect of these changes on the infectivity and antigenicity of the virus. While most mutations are of little to no consequence, sometimes the virus acquires a mutation that gives it an advantage over other strains. Contrary to popular belief, coronaviruses are not the fastest mutating RNA viruses. Compared with HIV, SARS-CoV-2 changes much more slowly as it spreads. That being said, despite the virus’s sluggish mutation rate, researchers have cataloged more than 12,000 mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes.
The variants of concern have mostly been identified with a mutation in the gene encoding the spike protein, which helps virus particles to penetrate cells. The 3 new variants causing havoc around the globe are B.1.1.7 (also known as VOC-202012/01), 501Y.V2 (B.1.351), and P.1 (B.1.1.28.1), reported first in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil respectively. All three variants have the N501Y mutation, which changes the amino acid asparagine (N) to tyrosine (Y) at position 501 in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein. The 501Y.V2 and P.1 variants both have two additional receptor-binding–domain mutations, K417N/T and E484K. These mutations increase the binding affinity of the receptor-binding domain to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor.
Regarding the severity of these variants, at present entire families are getting sick in India. Many, including young people and the ones with no comorbidities, are succumbing to the pandemic. But whether this is because more people, in general, have been infected or because of actual biological changes in the variant is yet to be determined. These new variants reportedly don’t discriminate by age, but the vaccines in place are still very effective in preventing severe disease. A few ways to mitigate such a situation are being discussed, some of them being: A possible 3rd dose of the vaccine or a booster shot of a slightly modified vaccine, or a combination of available vaccines for a robust immune response. Finally, we welcome articles addressing the following topics:
- SARS-CoV-2 Variants and their Virulence;
- New Vaccination strategies to strengthen the Immune response;
- Demographic changes of COVID-19 Infection;
- A Discussion on the Long term effects of COVID-19;
- Physiological Effects of Vaccination, with a focus on increasing Mortality rates;
- Updates in the Treatment Strategy of COVID-19;
- Challenges and Opportunities for Vaccines.
As the world continues to battle the SARS-Cov-2 virus, the mutants being sequenced suggest a grim chance of avoiding a very possible third wave. The mutation landscape of SARS-CoV-2 has been under constant global scrutiny to understand the effect of these changes on the infectivity and antigenicity of the virus. While most mutations are of little to no consequence, sometimes the virus acquires a mutation that gives it an advantage over other strains. Contrary to popular belief, coronaviruses are not the fastest mutating RNA viruses. Compared with HIV, SARS-CoV-2 changes much more slowly as it spreads. That being said, despite the virus’s sluggish mutation rate, researchers have cataloged more than 12,000 mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes.
The variants of concern have mostly been identified with a mutation in the gene encoding the spike protein, which helps virus particles to penetrate cells. The 3 new variants causing havoc around the globe are B.1.1.7 (also known as VOC-202012/01), 501Y.V2 (B.1.351), and P.1 (B.1.1.28.1), reported first in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil respectively. All three variants have the N501Y mutation, which changes the amino acid asparagine (N) to tyrosine (Y) at position 501 in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein. The 501Y.V2 and P.1 variants both have two additional receptor-binding–domain mutations, K417N/T and E484K. These mutations increase the binding affinity of the receptor-binding domain to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor.
Regarding the severity of these variants, at present entire families are getting sick in India. Many, including young people and the ones with no comorbidities, are succumbing to the pandemic. But whether this is because more people, in general, have been infected or because of actual biological changes in the variant is yet to be determined. These new variants reportedly don’t discriminate by age, but the vaccines in place are still very effective in preventing severe disease. A few ways to mitigate such a situation are being discussed, some of them being: A possible 3rd dose of the vaccine or a booster shot of a slightly modified vaccine, or a combination of available vaccines for a robust immune response. Finally, we welcome articles addressing the following topics:
- SARS-CoV-2 Variants and their Virulence;
- New Vaccination strategies to strengthen the Immune response;
- Demographic changes of COVID-19 Infection;
- A Discussion on the Long term effects of COVID-19;
- Physiological Effects of Vaccination, with a focus on increasing Mortality rates;
- Updates in the Treatment Strategy of COVID-19;
- Challenges and Opportunities for Vaccines.
