The New Covid-19 Viral Strain; What We Need To Know – Mr Arthur-Mensah & Dr Mrs Abigail Kyei
Mr Reginald Arthur-Mensah Jnr (Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Pentecost University)
Dr Mrs Abigail Kyei (Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Pentecost University)
Introduction
A new strain of the SARS-COV2, the virus causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, of the coronavirus family, threatens to further overburden the already overwhelmed health care facilities and systems across the globe. The new strain is the SARS-COV2 VUI 202012/01 or B.1.1.7. The strain was first detected in September 2020, in southeastern England and has since accounted for about 60% of cases in the country.
Features of the new strain of the virus
The new strain has several genetic mutations especially on its “spike proteins” on the viral cell surface which it uses to attach to the human host cells (see Figure 1 and 2). Thus, this makes the new strain attach to the human host cells more readily and efficiently making it easier for the virus to enter into the host cells to cause disease. It is estimated that these mutations can make the virus up to 70% more transmissible. However, there is no evidence that it is linked to a higher risk of hospital admissions or deaths. At least, 17 mutations in the spike proteins have been identified but mutation G614 is of urgent concern. (see Figure 2).
Countries the new stain has been detected
The new strain has been detected in about 33 countries including; Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
In Africa, South Africa also identified a strain similar to the B.1.1.7 in October. The strain is B.1.351. It appears to spread more easily and quickly but it is not more severe. Another variant has recently been detected in Nigeria, but there is no evidence of easy transmissibility and higher virulence.
The new strain and the COVID-19 vaccines
Current evidence suggests that most mutations of the new strain are on the viral spike proteins as earlier mentioned. It is these spike proteins the COVID-19 vaccines target. The vaccines are expected to elicit antibody reactions against many parts of the viral spike proteins; hence, it is unlikely that a single new mutation in the virus will make the vaccine less effective.
What to expect
The virus that causes COVID-19 will keep changing. That is what simply happens to microorganisms as they continue their infectivity in human populations. The scientific community continues to sample positive cases for new strains of the virus. However, it is unlikely to predict how the viral mutations might affect the pathophysiology of the disease until large data are analyzed.
Preventive measures against the new strain
The preventive measures against this new strain follow the precautionary and preventive measures against the original strain. They include;
- The regular washing of hands with soap under running water.
- The intermittent sanitizing of the hands with an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoidance of touching the T zone of the face as well as the eyes, nose and mouth.
- Wearing of face protection e.g., nose masks, face shields at all times.
- Practising physical distancing and staying away from crowds and large groups of people.
- Refraining from smoking and other activities that weaken the lungs.
- Staying home if one feels unwell.
This new strain may be more infective, but it still relies on humans to spread it. Let us stop the spread of the virus by adhering to all the precautionary measures stated above. Let us all endeavour to stay safe. As of January 3, 2021, over 85 million people have been infected with the virus, 48 million people have recovered from the disease with about 1.8 million deaths worldwide (WHO, COVID-19, 2021)
References
Strains of Coronavirus. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus-strains. (Accessed January 2, 2021).
WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard. Retrieved from https://covid19.who.int. (Accessed January 3, 2021).
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78 Comments
Very educative
Thanks for alerting me on the new strain ,it is very educative.
Thanks alot for the education. I really enjoy reading articles from this institution especially the article written by Mr. Reginald and Dr. Abigail.
Thank you for the knowledge
Good job and thanks for sharing
This was very educative. God bless you.
Very educative.Thanks for the knowledge.
Very educative
Thanks! Very educative .
This is eye opening!
Very informative! Great work Mr Arthur-Mensah and Dr Kyei. Thank you
Thanks for creating the awareness.
Very educative.
Eeeiií another one again so Where is this world going now.
Very educative sir, thank you very much
Very educative sir, well appreciated
Well done
This information is very helpful
Very educative, and thanks for sharing
Woww.. that’s a great one,
Thanks for sharing.
Wow….very educative, I really enjoyed it, good job!
This is so amazing
Keep going
Thank you for education. It will help us to aware of the current situation as far Covid is concerned and be particular about the preventive measures. God bless you
This is very insightful… thanks a lot for the education.
Very educative ……. Really boost my knowledge
Thank you so much
Thanks very much for this health education on the New Covid 19 viral strain. Its very educative and a must read article.
Very educative and helpful. Will be counting on your researches for more updates.
Very insightful,i hope to see more articles soon
Very educative 💥
I’ve really enjoyed it. It has really helped me 😊
A must read article thanks for the information.
Completely brilliant one there. Thank you very much
Well done sir, God bless you for the efforts taken to create awareness . This is really an eye opener.
Very educative article…thank you for educating us
Thanks for the information
Woow , it is an eye opener .
Thanks.
Very important information on time. This is a very hard work done. Well appreciated and God bless you. Looking forward for more.
Very educative
Very educative. Thanks .
Kudos sir well done and it up. Serious microbiology lecturer ✌✌✌✌
Sir Sir
You’re doing very well with your educative write-up to the world.
I hope students of the university read it. Atleast, you have made it simple for us to get this knowledge right on our website. Frankly, we have heard of the new strain but i do not think any of us have bothered to learn on it.
Thank you sir.
God will bless you.
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Most of us will not get to know this if you hadn’t written it.
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