“There’s actually multiple variants floating around,” says Dr. Thomas Russo, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes three variants of SARS-CoV-2 that started popping up last fall in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil. A variant is a mutation of the virus, Russo explains. Essentially, there’s been a change in the virus’ code so that one of its proteins is slightly different than before. Virus mutations happen all the time and are of no significance unless they change the virus’ behavior. Scientists are still working to fully understand the COVID-19 variants, whether they’re more infectious and how they may interact with the vaccines. And, there are still many unknowns. “So, that’s why it’s important for us to be aware of these variants, or mutant forms of the virus, and what effects these changes, if any, may have,” Russo says. Parade.com asked experts to explain what you should know about the COVID-19 variants and if the vaccines will protect you against them.
What is the COVID variant, exactly?
One of the reasons COVID-19 variants are emerging is because not enough people are vaccinated yet, says Dr. Judith Lightfoot, DO, FACOI, chief of infectious disease at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. “The longer you have a virus which can change itself in this configuration and fewer people vaccinated, you’ll begin to see variations of it,” she explains. “That’s just how viruses behave.” The variant first seen in the U.K., known as B.1.1.7, has been detected in several U.S. states. A new study revealed that the strain is spreading quickly through the country, and according to the CDC, the variant may be linked to a higher risk of death. This variant is also thought to be more infectious, Dr. Russo says. A report by the Centre for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that the B.1.1.7 variant is about 50% more transmissible than other variants. But, there’s still some uncertainty. The variant, known as B.1.351, was first seen in South Africa and according to the CDC, it shares some mutations with the B.1.1.7 strain. Another one, known as P.1, was first identified in Brazil, and has 17 unique mutations. Both of these variants have also been detected in the U.S., and they’re thought to be more infectious.
Will other COVID variants develop?
“Unquestionably, they will,” Dr. Russo says. Exactly how the variants, or mutations, will behave is still unclear, though. Sometimes, mutations enable the virus to evade therapies, making the vaccine less effective. Or, he says the mutation could make the virus “wimpier,” causing less severe disease. “We should be concerned, because the new variants only become because this virus hasn’t gone away,” Dr. Lightfoot explains. Until more people are vaccinated—and, we still have a ways to go—she says everyone needs to continue practicing the same safety measures health experts have been emphasizing over the past few months. Wear a mask, avoid large crowds, stay home when you’re sick, and wash your hands. As of early February, just about 40 million people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the CDC. And data show that Black Americans, who have been disproportionately affected by the virus, are getting vaccinated at lower rates.
Will the COVID vaccine protect against the new variants, too?
Research into whether COVID-19 vaccines will protect you against the new variants is ongoing. But according to the CDC, it’s believed that the “antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants.” But the truth is, there’s just not enough data yet. “We’re still on a learning curve," explains Dr. Russo. “The general consensus right now is that we’re probably OK with the existing variant, at least protecting against severe disease.” The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which have been granted emergency use authorization in the U.S., were created using messenger RNA, or mRNA, and “look pretty good” against the variant that originated in the U.K., Dr. Lightfoot adds. Messenger RNA vaccines tell the body’s cells to create a “spike protein” found on the surface of the virus, and this generates an immune response through antibody production. She says the newer vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, which don’t use mRNA technology, may be less effective against the new variants—but, the data needs to be reviewed to know for sure. However, the AstraZeneca vaccine, created with the University of Oxford, recently has been shown to be less effective against the strain from South Africa. The new variants and uncertainty over the effectiveness of the vaccines against them may be worrisome, but don’t let that stop you from getting vaccinated, Russo urges. “At the end of the day, it’s important to note that [with] these variants that have been described today and variants yet to be described or yet to have even evolved, as long as our vaccines afford us enough degree of protection that we don’t get seriously ill, get hospitalized or have a bad outcome, I think that’s OK,” he adds. Next, read about some of the biggest COVID-19 vaccine myths, debunked. Sources
Dr. Judith Lightfoot, DO, FACOI, chief of infectious disease, Rowan University School of Osteopathic MedicineDr. Thomas Russo, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesABC News: Black Americans Lagging Behind in COVID-19 Vaccinations, Data Shows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): COVID Data Tracker Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):Emerging SARS-CoV-2 VariantsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): New Variants of the Virus that Causes COVID-19Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):Understanding mRNA COVID-19 VaccinesCentre for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases:Estimated transmissibility and severity of novel SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern 202012/01 in EnglandMedRxiv: Genomic epidemiology identifies emergence and rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 in the United StatesThe New York Times: AstraZeneca’s Vaccine Does Not Work Well Against Virus Variant in South Africa
