Scientists in US' Oregon find B.1.1.7 variant with 'E484K', mutation also found in India

The B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus that till now has been the most aggressively transmissible one among the many variants, has been combined with a mutation that is likely to the variant 'less susceptible' to the vaccines. With cases rising in the United States, at least 40 states in America have recorded positives that contracted Covid-19 with the B.1.1.7 variant — that was first discovered by researchers in Britain, in November 2020. Now, the concern for scientists in Oregon is the 'E484K' mutation combined with B.1.1.7. This specific mutation has been one of the many reasons for the number of cases rising across the world including India. 

This UK variant has now surfaced in the Pacific Northwest region of America in Oregon, however, with a mutation 'E484K' or also referred to as 'Eek'. Geneticists here have discovered that Covid-19 that was first identified in the UK with a mutation was actually first reported in South Africa. The genetic analysis of the B.1.1.7 variant with 'Eek' has revealed that this particular virus variant isn't imported from anywhere else in Oregon, instead has been acquired in the community (did not arise in any patient), asserts a geneticist from Oregon Health and Science University — Brian O'Roak.

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'B.1.1.7 with Eek susceptible to vaccines'

Roak and his team who are working with US' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to track variants of Covid-19 have submitted their study on B.1.1.7 with the mutation 'E484K' in the databases of CDC. Immunologist at Rockefeller University in New York — Dr. Michel Nussenzweig earlier this year said "Vaccines may not prevent people from turning mildly or asymptomatically infected with the variants. And if the infected are still transmitting the virus to others who are not well immunised, Covid1-9 will continue to claim lives."

Basically, the new variant B.1.1.7 added with the mutations has turned out to be even more dangerous than what scientists and researchers had expected. While initial studies of vaccines showed that the body will develop antibodies after shots are administered to fight the pathogen, the recent mutations with the Britain variant have seemingly made the vaccines including those by Moderna and Pfizer, defenseless.

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The 'E484' mutation with B.1.1.7 variant blunts the body's immune system severely, while the vaccine hardly has any influence on it. However, scientists at the Oregon university identified this combination and have pointed that "It seems to have evolved independently," Dr. O'Roak said. He recalls that of the 13 samples of those who tested positive for Covid-19 in Oregon recently, 10 turned out to be B.1.1.7 alone while one tested positive with 'Eek'. It has to be noted here that the B.1.1.7 is 56% more quicker in transmission when compared to the SARS-CoV-2 (hCov-19).

 
'Other mutations could weaken Eek's (E484) effect' 

Expert in computational genomics at the California University Stacia Wyman stressed "B.1.1.7 has only been introduced into the US. As it evolves, and as it slowly becomes the dominant one, it could accumulate more mutations." However, a study published in Nature shows that of the variants identified in Britain, South Africa, and Brazil, the 'one in South Africa (B.1.351) is the most resistant to antibodies produced by the immune system.' But the same variant in Brazil wasn't resistant, even as it carried the Eek mutation.

Overall, Wyman hinted that "other mutations could weaken Eek's effect [sic]" and this she said was good news. The 'E484K' mutation combined with B.1.1.7 is a matter of bigger concern to the entire world, as this mutation was also found in parts of Maharashtra in India. Places like Amravathi, Yavatmal, and surrounding witnessed a drastic surge in the number of positives, in February and doctors found this mutation with the variants.

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Meanwhile,  Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University has suggested "I think we need to monitor mutations closely and look out for things like that that could be becoming dominant in certain parts of the world.” Mutations are now the root cause for the rise in Covid-19 cases across the globe. Scientists are finding ways to lessen the impact of the virus on a person's immunity, by using mutations against one another.  

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