A new variant of Wuhan pneumonia (a new coronavirus disease), named “B.1.5.25,” has been discovered in the U.K. A set of potentially worrisome mutations have been detected in the U.K. and have now spread in 10 countries, The Guardian reported on 15 May, citing researchers at Edinburgh University. The virus is now spreading in 10 countries.
The report noted that 32 confirmed cases of the variant have been found in the United Kingdom, and cases have been reported in Denmark, the United States, France, Australia, Canada, Jordan, Spain, and Nigeria and Ghana in Africa, with the original genetic sequence traced back to the strain that appeared in the United Kingdom and Nigeria in December last year.
The team said the variant has genomic similarities to the “B.1.1.7” strain previously found in Kent, England, which has a number of troubling and serious mutations, including an E484K mutation in the “echinoderm” protein. It is believed that this mutation may affect the ability of vaccine-generated antibodies to recognize the mutant virus, resulting in a failure to activate the body’s immune system to attack and kill the virus.
The “B.1.1.7” variant of the virus is sweeping the world, and the latest research shows that the variant is not only 30% to 70% more transmissible as previously known, but also has an increased risk of hospitalization and is more likely to be 30% to 70% more deadly than the original virus strain. As for the power of the new variant “B1.5.2.5” to spread and cause disease, further research is needed to determine the power of the new variant.
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