Covid strain that can ‘fool’ 3 antibodies found in Mumbai Called the E484K mutation, it is linked to the South African strain.
Malathy Iyer
TNN
January 10, 2021, 08:00 IST
Mumbai: While the search for the highly contagious UK mutation of Covid-19 continues in India, researchers from Tata Memorial Centre in Kharghar have found three patients from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (outside Mumbai) with an equally worrying mutation. Called the E484K mutation, it is linked to the South African strain.
“This is one of three mutations (K417N, E484K and N501Y) seen in the South African lineage,” said Dr Nikhil Patkar, associate professor in haematopathology at Tata Memorial Centre’s Kharghar unit called ACTREC, whose team found the E484K mutation in three out of the 700 Covid-19 samples it put through gene sequencing. The E484 mutations are worrying as they can ‘fool’ or escape three antibodies that the body’s immune system makes.
News outlets around the world have begun terming the South African variant as “more of a problem” than the UK variant, which has caused a second wave across Europe.
As vaccines work on the principle of creating antibodies, researchers across the world are now weighing the E484’s effect on mass Covid-19 vaccination programmes under way in various countries. “The E484K mutation is less susceptible to neutralisation by antibodies formed against the virus,” said Dr Patkar. “It is still uncertain what this means for vaccination and resulting immune responses,” he said.
The Tata Memorial Centre usually carries out genetic sequencing for cancer patients, but was roped in for SARS-CoV-2 testing and sequencing during the Covid pandemic.
In April, the ACTREC team would find four to five mutations in the samples, but they increased to 10-12 by September.
“Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 isolates from three male patients (aged 30, 32 and 43 years) with Covid-19 were found to harbour the E484K mutation and were diagnosed to have Covid-19 in September,” said Dr Patkar.
These patients experienced a relatively milder form of Covid-19, with two requiring home quarantine, while one needed hospitalization but didn’t need oxygen support or ventilation.
Incidentally, in a review study that is slated to be published soon, the Delhi-based Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology found that 19 out of the 86 genetic variants were found in genomes from India.
However, the jury is still out there as far as the B1117 and E484 mutations are concerned. “If we were to have newer strains infecting people, then it would have spread like wildfire by now. These variants have been in circulation since September, and haven’t resulted in larger outbreaks here,” said Bengaluru-based epidemiologist Dr Giridhar Babu from PHFI (Public Health Foundation of India).
New virus variant found in travellers from Brazil: Japan A new coronavirus variant has been detected in four travellers from Brazil’s Amazonas state, Japan’s health ministry said on Sunday, in the latest instance the pandemic virus is evolving.
Reuters
January 11, 2021, 06:30 IST
Tokyo: A new coronavirus variant has been detected in four travellers from Brazil’s Amazonas state, Japan’s health ministry said on Sunday, in the latest instance the pandemic virus is evolving.
A ministry official said studies were underway into the efficacy of vaccines against the new variant, which differs from highly-infectious variants first found in Britain and South Africa that have driven a surge in cases.
“At the moment, there is no proof showing the new variant found in those from Brazil is high in infectiousness,” Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), said. Still, Brazil’s health ministry said it has been notified by Japan’s authorities that the new variant has 12 mutations, and one of them has already been identified also in the variants found in the UK and in South Africa. “It implies in a potential higher virus infectiousness,” it said.
Of the four people who arrived at Tokyo on January 2, a man in his forties had a problem breathing, a woman in her thirties had a headache and sore throat and a man in his teens had a fever, while a woman in her teens showed no symptoms, the ministry said. The WHO has been informed of the new strain. Reuters
No evidence UK strain more severe: Experts
An analysis of severity of Covid-19 in UK returnees and their direct contacts undergoing treatment at Lok Nayak Hospital shows very few of them have mild or severe symptoms.
Durgesh Nandan Jha
TNN
January 09, 2021, 05:20 IST
New Delhi: An analysis of severity of Covid-19 in UK returnees and their direct contacts undergoing treatment at Lok Nayak Hospital shows very few of them have mild or severe symptoms. Barring two out of 60, all of them are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms.
“We plan to discharge some of them as soon as their genome sequencing results are in,” said Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Lok Nayak Hospital.
Sources said the swab samples of all these patients had been sent for genome sequencing. As on Friday, the results of genome sequencing conducted on 31 swab samples had arrived. Of them, 13 (42%) were positive and 18 (58%) negative.
“The positivity rate among the suspected patients is very high, which is worrying. It confirms our fears about high transmissibility of the virus. However, on the brighter side, we are seeing that very few people who have tested positive for the mutated strain or those who are awaiting results have severe symptoms,” said a source.
Among those found positive for the mutated strain of the virus, only two had mild symptoms. “The condition of one of them, who is 35 years old, has improved significantly. The other patient with the mutated strain, a 47-year-old man, continues to have mild symptoms for which antiviral drugs are being administered,” the source said.
Dr Rommel Tickoo, associate director, internal medicine at Max Superspecialty Hospital, Saket said, “There is nothing to be alarmed about as yet. The mutated strain may be more infective, but there is no evidence to suggest that it causes more severe symptoms than the original strain. However, to prevent the healthcare infrastructure from getting overwhelmed once again, we need to screen anyone coming from countries affected by the mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2. Also, measures such as wearing a mask, washing hands regularly and maintaining physical distance should be strictly adhered to.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, experts say the novel coronavirus has undergone multiple mutations. But the mutation found in the UK in September for the first time has become a cause for concern because it is more infectious than the original strain.
Dr Gagandeep Kang, professor of microbiology at CMC Vellore, who is also the vice-chair of the board of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a global partnership seeking to proactively develop vaccines for epidemics, said there was no evidence to show increase in severity.
In a webinar at AIIMS, Kang warned that when a virus circulates unchecked and immunisation rates are low, the probability of mutations increase. She called for early identification of mutations and mitigation strategies.