Variant R.1, discovered in Japan and arrived at a nursing home in Kentucky, has 5 mutations observed in other variants, including two on the Spike protein, but also has many unique mutations. To shed light on what is called “a variant to watch”, is an article published in Forbes and signed by William A. Haseltine, former professor at Harvard Medical School.
An investigation by the Kentucky Department of Public Health tracked its spread in the nursing home, revealing that an unvaccinated and infected staff member had started the outbreak in early March 2021, where it infected at least 45 residents and staff. sanitary. Many residents were fully vaccinated, but the evolved virus was able to evade their antibody protection. To date, according to the Sars-CoV-2 Gisaid database, it has infected more than 10,000 people worldwide.
Covid, identikit of the variants. From Alpha to Iota, how the virus changes
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In addition to several mutations notably in the Spike and nucleocapsid protein in common with the variants of interest, R.1 “has a number of unique mutations that may confer an additional advantage in immune transmission, replication and suppression.” It has, in fact, a mutation that can lead to “increased resistance to antibodies,” according to Forbes, which could make it better able to evade vaccine-generated antibodies and those who have already been infected with the virus. This mutation in the Spike protein, called E484K, “is present in the Beta, Gamma, Eta, Iota and Mu variants of Covid-19”.
Covid, because our immune system responds differently to infection and vaccine
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