More terrible COVID-19 variant may be evolved from AIDS and found in Hong Kong
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More terrible COVID-19 variant may be evolved from AIDS and found in Hong Kong.
Perhaps a new mutant strain that is even more terrifying than Delta is here! Or evolved from AIDS patients. One case has been found in Hong Kong.
According to a foreign media report on November 24, scientists recently issued a warning that a mutant strain of the new coronavirus that carries an “extremely large number of” mutations “emerged quietly”. At the time when the epidemic “reappears” in many countries, such a new mutant virus The emergence of strains may “make things worse.”
According to the report on November 24, scientists recently issued a warning that a mutant strain of the new coronavirus that carries an “extremely large number of” mutations “emerged quietly”. At the time when the epidemic “reappears” in many countries, such a new mutant virus The emergence of strains may “make things worse.”
▲B.1.1.529 strain has 32 spike protein mutations
Shocked scientists: For the first time both mutations appeared in one strain at the same time
Although genome sequencing has shown that so far, only 10 cases in 3 countries and regions have been confirmed to be infected with the B.1.1.529 strain, but it has caused “serious concerns” among scientists because This new mutant strain has 32 spike protein mutations, and some of these mutations help the virus evade immunity.
The spike protein is a key part of the virus. The new coronavirus uses it to recognize the human ACE2 protein to enter human cells. At the same time, most of the existing COVID-19 vaccines also attack the virus by training the human immune cells to recognize the spike protein. Spike protein mutations affect the ability of the virus to infect cells and spread, but it also makes it more difficult for immune cells to attack pathogens.
What shocked scientists is that the B.1.1.529 new coronavirus variant contains two furin cleavage site mutations-P681H (which has appeared in Alpha, Mu, some Gamma, B.1.1.318 mutant strains) ), and N679K (seen in C.1.2). Dr. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, said on Twitter that this is the first time he has seen two mutations appear in the same strain at the same time.
He pointed out that the mutation of this new variant strain is “very terrifying” and may be “terrifying than all previous variants of the COVID-19”, including the Delta strain that currently dominates the world. In contrast, there are 16 mutations in the spike protein of the Delta strain.
According to reports, the B.1.1.529 infection was collected in Botswana for the first time on November 11. There are currently 3 confirmed cases in the country.
Three days later, on November 14, South Africa recorded the world’s first case of B.1.1.529 infection, and another 5 people have been diagnosed in South Africa. In addition, one case was also found in Hong Kong.
A 36-year-old man traveling to South Africa stayed in South Africa from October 22 to November 11. He tested negative when he returned to Hong Kong, but tested positive during the quarantine on November 13.
Scientists say that a single case in Hong Kong has just returned from a trip to South Africa, which has raised concerns that more viruses may have spread through international travel. Dr. Peacock wrote: “The export to Asia means that infections may be more common than the current results of genetic sequencing.”
In addition, he said: “The extremely long branch length and the incredible number of spike protein mutations indicate that B.1.1.529 may be a real concern (predicted escape from most known monoclonal antibodies).”
Or evolved from AIDS patients: Confirms the previous concerns of scientists
Ravi Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Cambridge, said that the two mutations on B.1.1.529 increase infectivity and reduce antibody recognition.
Judging from the current mutations, this is indeed a problem worthy of attention.
However, he said that one of the key characteristics of this virus is not yet clear, and that is its contagiousness, because this is the key cause of the delta variant’s dominance. “Immune escape is only part of what can happen.”
Scientists said that they will pay close attention to this new variant to see if it is gaining momentum or signs of spreading more widely. And some virologists have begun to feel deeply concerned about the situation in South Africa.
They said that the current B.1.1.529 infection cases in South Africa have come to Pride Province, and the recent surge in cases in the local area is likely to be driven by a new mutant strain, because the new cases are very localized.
The area rises suddenly. Not only that, among the existing cases in South Africa, one of the patients is a female baby who is not yet one year old, which means that family transmission has occurred.
Professor François Baroques, director of the Institute of Genetics at University College London, said that a large number of mutations in the B.1.1.529 variant strain apparently accumulated in a “single outbreak”, which suggests that it may be It evolved during chronic infection in people with weakened immune systems, such as untreated HIV/AIDS (HIV) patients.
He said: “I definitely think that by neutralizing antibodies against Alpha or Delta, it is difficult to identify.”
Baroques’ statement confirms that scientists’ previous concerns may have become reality, that is, the “collision” between HIV and the COVID-19 virus may complicate efforts to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic, and advanced AIDS patients may become a source of mutations of the COVID-19 virus. Even “become a factory for mutated viruses in the world.”
According to a previous report by Red Star News, in 216 days, a South African woman with advanced HIV had 32 mutations in the new coronavirus, including 13 mutations in the key spike protein.
At that time, scientists pointed out that there may be a link between the frequent emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus in Natal Province of South Africa and the high prevalence of AIDS in the region, where more than a quarter of adults are HIV-positive.
However, Professor Baroques said that it is currently difficult to predict the extent of the spread of the B.1.1.529 strain. Dr. Peacock also said that the current situation is not clear and it should be closely monitored, “I hope it is just a strange cluster that is not easy to spread.”
More terrible COVID-19 variant may be evolved from AIDS and found in Hong Kong
(source:internet, reference only)
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