More Evidence Backs Worries That Variant Identified In UK Is Deadlier

The Washington Post: Virus Variant First Detected In The U.K. Has Been Deadlier, Study Confirms 
Scientists had already determined that the variant of the novel coronavirus first detected in the fall in the United Kingdom — known as B.1.1.7. because of its molecular makeup — was probably 30 to 70 percent more transmissible than the typical version of the virus causing covid-19. They also knew, based on preliminary data, that the variant appeared to be relatively more deadly for the growing number of people catching it. U.K. scientists now say the variant is probably 30 to 70 percent more deadly, based on a follow-up study by the government released Friday that assessed a larger sample size of covid-19 patients and also found a higher rate of hospitalization. (Berger, 2/13)

The New York Times: U.K. Virus Variant Is Probably Deadlier, Scientists Say 
The reasons for an elevated death rate are not entirely clear. Some evidence suggests that people infected with the variant may have higher viral loads, a feature that could not only make the virus more contagious but also potentially undermine the effectiveness of certain treatments. But scientists are also trying to understand how much of the increased risk of death may stem from the propensity of the variant to spread very easily through settings like nursing homes, where people are already vulnerable. (Mueller and Zimmer, 2/13)

More variants are identified —

The New York Times: 7 Virus Variants Found In U.S. Carrying The Same Mutation
As Americans anxiously watch variants first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa spread in the United States, scientists are finding a number of new variants that originated here. More concerning, many of these variants seem to be evolving in the same direction — potentially becoming contagious threats of their own. In a study posted on Sunday, a team of researchers reported seven growing lineages of the novel coronavirus, spotted in states across the country. All of them have evolved a mutation in the same genetic letter. (Zimmer, 2/14)

CIDRAP: New COVID Variant With 5 Mutations Identified In California 
A new SARS-CoV-2 variant, CAL.20C, has been detected in southern California amid a surge in local infections and is spreading through and beyond the United States, according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC) in Los Angeles analyzed COVID-19 strains before and after the surge in cases in southern California in October 2020. Before October, most coronavirus strains there originated from the 20C clade (group of viruses evolved from the same ancestor), which emerged in New York via Europe in the early stages of the pandemic. (Van Beusekom, 2/12)

In related news about the variants —

Fox News: New York Confirms South African Coronavirus Variant Case
New York has confirmed a case of the South African coronavirus variant in a patient who was transferred to a city hospital from Connecticut. In a press conference held Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that at this time, there is no evidence of further spread pertaining to the case. He made the announcement moments before revealing that the city would begin a phased re-opening of overnight subway service starting next Monday. The variants have been causing some concern among experts, particularly pertaining to vaccine efficacy. Several studies have found that the South Africa variant impacts vaccines' ability to produce antibodies, although not enough to consider the jab useless. (Hein, 2/15)

AP: COVID-19 Shots Might Be Tweaked If Variants Get Worse
The makers of COVID-19 vaccines are figuring out how to tweak their recipes against worrisome virus mutations — and regulators are looking to flu as a blueprint if and when the shots need an update. “It’s not really something you can sort of flip a switch, do overnight,” cautioned Richard Webby, who directs a World Health Organization flu center from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. (Neergaard, 2/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: 'The Problem Is Tomorrow's Variants': Renowned Bay Area Epidemiologist Predicts Prolonged Pandemic
It will take years, not months, to gain the upper hand in the coronavirus pandemic — and it will require thinking well beyond our borders, says Dr. Larry Brilliant. The 76-year-old Bay Area epidemiologist, who has worked to eradicate smallpox, polio and co-founded the Seva Foundation in Berkeley to combat blindness, has a unique perspective on the subject. For years, Brilliant warned of a pandemic on the scale of the one we are living through. He even served as the senior technical adviser on the 2011 motion picture “Contagion,” filmed partly at the San Francisco 49ers old stadium, Candlestick Park — during which time he presciently predicted that epidemiologists would become rock stars and stadiums would become mass vaccination sites. (Vaziri, 2/15)