Experts urge caution over escape mutations found in coronavirus variants in Japan
March 9, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
A transmission electron microscope photo of SARS-CoV-2 provided by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is shown here. TOKYO A series of coronavirus variants appearing to have an escape mutation, which decreases the efficacy of immunity against the virus, have been found in and outside Japan. According to Japan s National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), a rampant spread of the mutation within the country can pose risks for controlling infections in the mid- and long term, but does not make the vaccine ineffective at the present stage. This mutation differs from a new strain of the virus from Britain, which is said to be more transmissible than the original. What kind of risks can be feared from the escape mutation ?