What to Know About the Coronavirus Variant Found in California
While research is ongoing, upcoming studies suggest that the variant is more contagious than the original coronavirus strain.
WITH CONCERNS MOUNTING over coronavirus variants first found in the U.K., South Africa and travelers from Brazil, there is another strain to add to the mix — one from California.
The variant, which scientists refer to as B.1.427/B.1.429, made headlines recently as it has surged in the state. Research into the variant is ongoing, but upcoming studies that have not yet been published or peer reviewed suggest it could be more contagious than the original coronavirus strain.
[ READ: Coronavirus Model Predicts New Variants Will Increase U.S. Death Toll ]
Researchers behind one of the studies said it should be viewed as a “variant of concern” along with the others circulating in the U.S.
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Photos: COVID-19 Vaccinations
TOPSHOT — Health professional Raimunda Nonata, 70, is inoculated with the Sinovac Biotech’s CoronaVac vaccine against COVID-19 inside her house becoming the first Quilombola (traditional Afro-descendent community member) to be vaccinated at the community Quilombo Marajupena, city of Cachoeira do Piria, Para state, Brazil, on January 19, 2021. — The community of Quilombo Marajupena, 260km far-away from Belem, capital of Para, doesn’t have access to electricity. (Photo by TARSO SARRAF / AFP) (Photo by TARSO SARRAF/AFP via Getty Images)
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Where is it spreading?
The variant has mostly taken hold in California, though it has been documented in 45 states and several other countries.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, didn’t find the variant in any of its samples taken in September. But by the end of January, it was in over half their samples.
It’s unclear why this variant has become the main one detected in California and not elsewhere.
California also has over 200 cases of the variant first documented in the U.K., which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts could become the main strain circulating in the U.S. next month.
While the variant found in California has raised concerns, it might not be as big of a problem as the highly transmissible strain discovered in the U.K., which scientists call B.1.1.7.
“I’m increasingly convinced that this one is transmitting more than others locally,” William Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who was not involved in the research, told The New York Times. “But there’s not evidence to suggest that it’s in the same ballpark as B.1.1.7.”
Is it more contagious or more deadly?
Research suggests that the variant is more contagious and could cause more severe disease and death, but experts caution that the study size was small.
[ READ: CDC: New Variant Could Become Main U.S. Strain ]
“This variant is concerning because our data shows that it is more contagious, more likely to be associated with severe illness, and at least partially resistant to neutralizing antibodies,” study author Charles Chiu, an infectious diseases physician and sequencing expert at UCSF, told Science.
The study looked at the medical records of over 300 people and found that when compared to other variants, those who had the strain found in California were more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and to die.
Other data suggest that variant is more contagious than the original strain, producing a viral load twice as high as others.
Will vaccines work on it?
In the lab, researchers found that antibodies from the blood of those who had recovered from COVID-19 were less effective at blocking the variant.
The variant was also less susceptible to the antibodies of people vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The researchers wrote that the diminished potency is “moderate but significant.”
Still, more research is needed. And Chiu told the Times that “if we can get enough people vaccinated, we will be able to deal with these variants simply because we won’t have ongoing transmission.”
How to combat its spread
The same mitigation measures apply to new variants as the original coronavirus strain: Wear a mask, socially distance and do not spend time indoors with those outside of the household.
[ READ: CDC: Teachers ‘Central’ to School Virus Spread ]
With over 1,930 cases of the variants first detected in the U.K., South Africa and in travelers from Brazil having been documented in the U.S., federal health officials have been pushing Americans not to relax as cases and deaths trend downward.
“By wearing masks in combination with social distancing, washing your hands, avoiding crowds and travel and getting vaccinated when it’s available, we can bring an end to this pandemic,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
Some experts have warned that the variants could lead to a spring surge in the U.S.’s outbreak.
Vaccinations are likely to be key to slowing the spread of the virus. According to the CDC, over 65 million vaccine doses have been administered.
Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder, Staff Writer
Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder writes about space, science and the environment for U.S. News & … READ MORE
Tags: coronavirus, public health, vaccines
