C.1.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 found in 8 countries: Here's everything you need to know

A new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, has been detected in South Africa and many other countries across the globe. According to The Guardian, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa on August 30 issued an alert about the ‘C.1.2 lineage’. It says that the new variant has been detected in all provinces in the country but at a relatively low rate. The latest COVID variant was first detected in May, the alert said. However, it adds that the Delta variant is still the dominant variant in all provinces in South Africa and the world.

Spread of C.1.2 variant

According to a study, since May, the C.1.2 has been found in China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, England, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland. The variant has mutated substantially compared to C.1, one of the lineages which dominated the SARS-CoV-2 infections in the first wave in South Africa. C.1.2 has more mutations than other variants of concern (VOCs) or variants of interest (VOIs) detected worldwide so far, the researchers said. 

However, the World Health Organization has not yet listed the variant as a VOC or VOI. The researchers noted that the number of available sequences of C.1.2 might be an underrepresentation of the spread and frequency of the variant in South Africa and other parts of the world. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases continues to monitor the frequency of C.1.2 and examine how it behaves. Tests to assess the impact of the mutations it possesses on infectiousness and vaccine resistance are still underway.

C.1.2 variant could evade vaccine protection

Meanwhile, the study found consistent increases in the number of C.1.2 genomes in South Africa each month, rising from 0.2 per cent of genomes sequenced in May to 1.6 per cent in June and then to 2 per cent in July. The researcher said this is similar to the increases seen with the Beta and Delta variants in the country during early detection. As per the study, C.1.2 lineage has a mutation rate of about 41.8 mutations per year, which is about twice as fast as the current global mutation rate of the other variants.

“Though these mutations occur in the majority of C.1.2 viruses, there is additional variation within the spike region of this lineage, suggesting ongoing intra-lineage evolution," the authors of the study noted.

The study said that about 52 per cent of the mutations in the spike region of the C.1.2 sequences have previously been seen in other VOCs and VOIs. It added that the mutations N440K and Y449H, associated with immune escape from certain antibodies, have also been noticed in C.1.2 sequences. They noted that these mutations, together with changes in other parts of the virus, likely help the virus evade antibodies, and immune response, including in patients who have already developed antibodies for the Alpha or Beta variants. According to the study, the C.1.2 variant could be more transmissible and would have the ability to evade the protection provided by the COVID-19 vaccines. 

The authors wrote, “While these mutations are not characteristic of current VOCs/VOIs, they have been associated with escape from certain class 3 neutralising antibodies”. 

They also said, “While the phenotypic characteristics and epidemiology of C.1.2 are being defined, it is important to highlight this lineage given its concerning constellations of mutations”. 

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