Virus. A deadly word in which we have only witnessed in computers until the COVID-19 pandemic came. It was first discovered in Wuhan, China and spread throughout the globe because we underestimated this virus’s consequences. In other words, the reason this life-threatening disease pervaded so quickly was that we lacked the understanding that to control a virus in real life is much more important than to mitigate than a virus in our computer. This coronavirus even evolved, as a new variant came into existence in the United Kingdom and South Africa recently.
Like previously stated, this is just a new variant of the virus, which means that it is still in the coronavirus family but has a distinct set of mutations that have distinguished it from the original. Researchers estimate that there are about 23 mutations in B.1.1.7, the variant of COVID-19 primarily discussed in this article. The main reason that this variant has caught the attention of scientists is that some of these mutations are very concerning.
Some of the dangerous mutations include the N510Y and D614G mutations. The N510Y allows the virus to attach more tightly to human cells, making it harder for the virus to leave the cells. The other mutation, D614G, causes the virus to be about fifty to seventy percent more transmissible than other variants in the United Kingdom, therefore aiding in the expansion of this virus even further if proper precautions are not taken. B.1.1.7 contains point mutations, mutations affecting only one or very few nucleotides in a gene sequence, and frameshift mutations, mutations involving the insertion or deletion of a nucleotide in which the number of deleted base pairs is not divisible by three, creating a different amino acid codon. Frameshift mutations tend to be a lot more detrimental than point mutations since it shifts the reading frame of three letters per codon and messes up the corresponding amino acids. The small deletion in the genetic sequence of B.1.1.7 is called 69-70del. This deletion makes it more effortless for the virus to evade the person’s immune system.
Recent data has shown that this minacious variant has a higher propensity to infect children, although it is not fully proven yet. This hence warns us that it is essential that we take action and work on allowing vaccines for children as soon as possible, since this new variant can make children equally susceptible to this virus as adults.
If you are in line for a vaccine, do not back out because of this new variant! Although there is not any proof that the vaccines will work with B.1.1.7 as they would do with previous forms of the virus, scientists are optimistic that the vaccine will work fine against this variant. This is because vaccines usually cause us to make antibodies of a big chunk of the virus, not just one small section, and most of B. 1.1.7’s mutations are in the spike protein, which is what the vaccines are causing us to make antibodies.
In conclusion, the B.1.1.7 variation of the coronavirus has affected many people in United Kingdom and South Africa and has shocked people worldwide as it could spread to other countries. Scientists are still in the process of investigating this current variant, as there is still much to be known and proven. It is crucial to take precautions and stay alert about this variant, never underestimate the virus, and repeat the same mistake as we did at the beginning.
Author: Siva Epuri LHS 9th Grade
Works Cited
Kelland, Kate. “U.K. Coronavirus Variant May Be More Able to Infect Children: Scientists.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 21 Dec. 2020, www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-variant-children/uk-coronavirus-variant-may-be-more-able-to-infect-children-scientists-idUKKBN28V2EV.
Mandavilli, Apoorva. “The Coronavirus Is Mutating. What Does That Mean for Us?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/20/health/coronavirus-britain-variant.html.
Reardon, Sara. “The U.K. Coronavirus Mutation Is Worrying but Not Terrifying.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 24 Dec. 2020, www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-u-k-coronavirus-mutation-is-worrying-but-not-terrifying/.
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