The new variant AY.4.2, derived from Delta and indicated with the initials B.1.617.2.4.2, is also present in Italy, with only 9 cases identified between September and October. This is indicated by the genetic sequences contained in the Gisaid international database, analyzed by the experts of the Ceinge-Advanced Biotechnology of Naples.
Overall, 1,860 sequences of the AY.4.2 variant have been deposited so far. Of these, most come from Great Britain and the remainder are distributed, albeit with small numbers, in about ten European countries, including Italy.
“It is a possible example, but it must be demonstrated, of how the AY.4.2 virus tries to escape vaccines with all its mutational load”, observes the geneticist Massimo Zollo, of the Federico II University of Naples and coordinator of the Ceinge Covid-19 Task Force. “If the hypothesis were to be confirmed, the epidemiological situation could worsen if the number of unvaccinated people were to remain high, even those already vaccinated with a low or absent anticorplae response could be affected”.
Ema: “We monitor closely”
“We are all looking at” the variant situation of Sars-CoV-2 with winter approaching, “to try to understand where the virus is going and what we might expect in the weeks and months to come. Delta is still the dominant strain. is circulating “, and” we are beginning to see that there are some additional mutations taking place “at the moment” in a few cases on the Delta variant. We have heard of the “new mutation” AY.4.2 “, which is a of ‘special observations’ for example in Gb where the cases in which it has been sequenced are increasing, “and we have to monitor very closely”.
To highlight the importance of close monitoring of these and other possible mutations was Marco Cavaleri, Head of Vaccines and Therapeutic Products for Covid-19 of the European Medicines Agency EMA, answering a question about the upcoming winter season during the periodic press briefing organized by the EU regulatory body.
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It is necessary to monitor, he explained, “because what could happen is that the backbone of the variant remains, but further mutations arrive and it could also be something that gives greater transmissibility or some kind of immune escape”, that is the ability of the virus to escape the ‘immunity.
“It is important that we continue this work globally, together not only with European public authorities, but also outside Europe with the World Health Organization. WHO is now making several efforts to develop a good system that can do surveillance and quickly lead to decisions regarding new variants “.
The cases in the United States, England and Israel
The AY.4.2 variant of the SarsCov2 virus (direct “descendant” of the Delta) has also been identified in the USA, although so far there are very few cases. This was announced by the director of the American CDC (Centers for Diseases Control), Rochelle Walensky, in a meeting at the White House to take stock of the pandemic. So far almost all cases have been detected in Europe, as reported by some American sites.
This new variant is currently being kept under control in the US, the UK and Israel. “It is well below 0.05% of all the viruses we have sequenced, with less than 10 cases reported so far in our database,” the Cdc said. At the moment it is not yet clear whether this variant, which has two mutations on the spike protein, gives any advantages to the virus.
According to the CDC, “there is no evidence that AY4.2 affects the effectiveness of current vaccines or therapies”. The British Health Security Agency on Friday announced that this variant is expanding in England and increasing its frequency, while the first case was detected in Israel on Tuesday. “There is no reason to panic. It is not a situation comparable to the appearance of the Alpha and Delta variants, much more transmissible than any other strain in circulation at the moment – he points out. Francois Balloux, director of the University College London Genetics Institute – there may be a potential small increase in transmissibility, but it would not have a similar impact on the pandemic as the other two. ”
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The situation in Russia
In Russia, isolated cases of the new variant of the Delta AY.4.2 strain of Covid-19 have been detected. He stated it Kamil Khafizov, director of the scientific group for the development of new methods for the diagnosis of human diseases at the Russian Central Research Institute of Epidemiology. According to Khafizov, this new variant is more contagious than the previous ones and is very likely to spread the virus faster both in Russia and in the rest of the world.
Should we worry?
As always happens with the variants of the Sars-Cov-2, even with respect to the new Delta Plus variant “we have to look at two things”. First of all “transmissibility, or any variant that is more transmissible than the Delta will tend to take over, but this AY.4.2 is not”.
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The second thing to consider is “whether, with the same transmissibility, Delta Plus escapes more from the immune system and therefore also from vaccines. But this does not seem to be the case”. It was to explain it Sergio Abrignani, Professor of Immunology at the State University of Milan and member of the Scientific Technical Committee, who spoke on the Agorà Extra broadcast on Rai Tre.
In a Facebook post, the biologist Enrico Bucci he pointed out, referring to a study published in Nature as the sub-variant at the moment, despite having characteristics of greater transmissibility, does not differ from the Delta in the protection offered by vaccines.
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