By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay reporter
THURSDAY, December 31, 2020 – A new and more infectious variant of the COVID-19 virus has emerged in several instances in Colorado and California, weeks after it first appeared in the UK.
Doctors on the front lines of the pandemic say people shouldn’t panic and definitely stick to tried and tested infection control measures like wearing masks and social distancing even more.
“While the new strain is more transmissible – up to 70% according to a recent analysis – the mutation itself has not been considered more virulent [able to cause harm] than the current strains that have circulated in the US and abroad, “said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that the new variant makes people sick or increases the general risk of death from COVID-19. It also seems that COVID-19 vaccines should protect against this.
British researchers first discovered the new variant in September and it is widespread in London and south-east England, according to the CDC.
According to a report from UK health officials, around 15% of people exposed to someone who carries the variant become infected, compared to the 10% infection rate associated with the standard COVID-19 coronavirus.
However, data from the UK has shown that the new variant does not appear to be resistant to the spread of COVID-19 vaccines across America, Glatter said.
“The new strain has not yet been shown to be more resistant to the recently launched COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, along with other vaccine candidates in Phase 3 trials that have not yet been approved for emergency use said Glatter.
These mRNA vaccines are designed to get the immune system to produce antibodies against multiple areas of the spike protein, he said. The spike protein, which is on the outer surface of the virus, is the primary way the virus attaches to cells in the body, he explained.
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Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, RI, agreed with Glatter.
“So far there is no evidence – and we are still studying – that it is deadlier,” Jha told ABC News. “And I’m not at all worried that it will escape the vaccine.”
However, the fact that a new variant has its head erect shows that researchers need to be constantly on guard to make sure the coronavirus doesn’t at some point deviate from the protection provided by these vaccines, Glatter added.
“We cannot be complacent and need to turn our attention to critical mutations by conducting active genomic surveillance as the pandemic rages on in the US and around the world,” Glatter said. “Ultimately, this may require us to adjust the composition of the current vaccines over the next few years.”
The presence of this new variant offers additional impulses to protect yourself and your surroundings from the spread of the coronavirus, said Glatter.
“Given that a variant strain is now circulating around the world, following proven harm control measures – physical distancing, wearing a mask, and hand hygiene – is more important than ever to reduce transmission,” he said.
More information
Learn more about new COVID-19 variants at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SOURCES: Robert Glatter, MD, Emergency Physician, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Public Health England Technical Briefing, December 21, 2020; abc news
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