Coronavirus mutations in New York, California spark concern
Mutations that have arisen in the US are spreading rapidly. Are they more contagious? And will the vaccines still be effective against them?
Since health authorities have begun sequencing positive COVID-19 cases more carefully i.e., genetically examining test results they have also found more and more mutations.
Most of those mutations are insignificant. But there are a few variants that researchers and officials are concerned about, in part because they are more contagious and because existing vaccines could be less effective at protecting against them.
No more freedom of movement. Some countries are trying to stem the spread of mutations by closing borders.
Detection of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant in New York
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena have developed a software tool called Variant Database that has detected an emerging lineage of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) isolates in New York.
The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that continues to sweep the globe and has now caused more than 2.41 million deaths.
The Variant Database (VBD) tool can be used to quickly assess the rapidly changing mutational landscape of the viral spike protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses to bind to and infect host cells.