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Researchers in the UK have identified a new SARS-CoV-2 variant with mutations that could allow it to evade immunity-conferring neutralizing antibodies.
Known as B.1.525, the variant was first detected in the UK and Nigeria in December. It’s since been found in 11 other countries, including Denmark, the US, and Australia.
B.1.525 sports a handful of mutations, including one on the spike protein called E484K. This mutation is also found in variants that emerged in South Africa and Brazil and seems to help the virus evade antibodies, The Guardian reports. In addition, B.1.525 has similarities to the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant that also emerged in the UK.
“We don’t yet know how well this [new] variant will spread, but if it is successful it can be presumed that immunity from any vaccine or previous infection will be blunted,” Simon Clarke, an associate professor of cellular microbiology at ...
