The new coronavirus variants may undermine all progress made in the pandemic. In December 2020, the UK reported infections from a new coronavirus strain known as B.1.1.7. A few weeks later, a new variant in South Africa was discovered as well.
The victims of the new, fast-spreading variant B.1.1.7 is showing more symptoms overall than those afflicted with the virus's initial form. When compared to those who have the original strain, those who test positive for the variant are more likely to experience a persistent cough, tiredness, body aches, sore throat, and fever, according to a survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics in England. Strangely, patients infected with the variant were substantially less likely to experience a lack of taste or smell, which is one of the coronavirus's most common symptoms.
Source: U.K.’s Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Preliminary evidence from multiple study groups revealed that the UK variant was circulating faster than previous versions and was also linked to a higher risk of mortality. Other early analyses outlined in a paper released on January 22 by the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVE TAG) also align with the findings of the study groups. The estimated case fatality risk for individuals afflicted with the variant was 36% higher.
The strains from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil are around 50% more infectious than the B.1.1.7, the strain identified in the US. Scientists are now researching the California variant's transmissibility, and believe it will also be more infectious. The spike enzyme, which the virus uses to enter and kill human cells and bind to cells, appears to be what is making B.1.1.7 more contagious.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, B.1.1.7 could become the leading cause of infection in the United States by March. This worries researchers. If the virus keeps producing variants at its current speed, soon the efficiency of the vaccines will become uncertain.
In a press conference, Anthony Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that having the COVID-19 vaccines out as soon as humanly possible is critical to limiting the spread of the variants when they are still uncommon.
Despite the deadliness of this virus, the emergence of certain variants raises the death toll even higher compared to any other virus (disregarding the deaths from influenza). One of the first emerging variants in late 2020 is the B.1.1.7. The identified variant spreads much more rapidly versus other variants, associating in the risk of causing a high number of deaths among the human population versus the non-variant cases.
Along with infections spreading from the B.1.1.7, the rise of the South African variant also causes similar effects on a global scale as this particular form evolved from the UK variant, sharing similarities in mutations. Similar to the B.1.1.7., this variant carries a mutation called N501Y, which enables the virus to easily spread among individuals, The South African variant also carries E484K, exhibiting the ability to dodge an individual’s immune system and impairing the function of a possible COVID vaccine. It is hard to say whether the South African variant is deadlier than the other global ones, but this variant acknowledges the symptoms, long, and short term effects displayed by other variants and the virus itself. Furthermore, the Brazil variant emerged during the first month of 2021. The variant was first identified among a group of travelers from Brazil in Japan at an airport, and the US identified its first case near the end of January 2021, despite dealing with other deadly variants infecting the country.
Local variants such as the California variant and the New York variant have been causing a devastating impact to a similar extent as other global variants as the death toll rose from 32% to 64% among the human population. B.1.427 and B.1.429 are variants that are concentrated in California despite being detected in 19 countries. Moreover, these variants have three mutations in the spike enzyme, altering their shape and preventing further recognition of itself by the immune system, which increases its chances of attacking healthy and weakened immune systems. On the contrary, the New York variant does not have as widespread of an effect as the other forms, but the situation is still concerning for local residents and international public. The variant displays similar effects as the other variants in terms of its transmissibility and infection rates among the human population despite differences in structure due to mutations, adding to the deadliness of the virus. Each variant reacts differently to the current vaccines produced. In South Africa the vaccine proves ineffective toward the B.1.135 variant.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is a vaccine that got an emergency use authorization from the FDA. It’s a single-dose vaccine that uses a strain from the common cold as a messenger that provides the body’s cell with instructions and immunity. In the U.S, it had a 72% success rate but proved to be 64% effective towards the South African variant. It was only 66% successful towards the Brazil variant as well.
The Novavax vaccine is another vaccine that is said to be authorized by the FDA in May. It’s a double-dose vaccine that uses the pieces of spikes on proteins of the variant. It was 85.6% effective against the UK strain but less than 50% effective in South Africa.
As these new variants spread across the globe, it’s important to maintain the CDC safety guidelines. It’s helpful to reduce indoor humidity to prevent getting sick by any airborne viruses. Attend indoor activities to a minimum and try to shop online if possible. Even if you’re vaccinated, it’s safer for everyone to social distance and wear a mask whenever necessary.
How Covid-19 Vaccines Work
Aparna Sureshbabu Feb. 22, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. PST
In our previous article, we told you the basics of the Coronavirus vaccines and differences between the two currently in use in the United States. Now, we’ll go into the specifics: how these vaccines work and what exactly is happening in your body when you get the first dose.
First, it's important to have some background information on the processes within your body. The human body has a vast immune system with several different parts that work together to combat an infection. An integral part of the immune system is blood--specifically, white blood cells. In your body, there are three major different types of white blood cells: macrophages, b-lymphocytes, and t-lymphocytes. Macrophages are a type of blood cell that aid in digesting dying cells and germs. After digesting an invasive germ, there is still a part of the germ left, called the antigen. B-lymphocytes are another type of white blood cell, and this type creates antibodies that attack whatever is left behind by the macrophage. T-lymphocytes are similar to B-lymphocytes, however they attack whole cells in the body that have been infected, instead of the small part of a germ or virus left behind by a macrophage.
Vaccines assist in developing the body’s immunity to a certain virus, something that would otherwise take the body much longer to do on its own. By injecting the body with a harmless amount of the virus, vaccines leave the immune system with a supply of T-lymphocytes that recognize this virus as dangerous. Because of this increased number of white blood cells, the body is better prepared to fight a virus. This immunity takes some time from the first dose to build up, so it is important to stay safe a few weeks after vaccination as well.
The two types of vaccines in widest use in the United States are the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTECH vaccines. Both of these varieties are what's known as mRNA vaccines. These types of vaccines contain genetic material from a virus, that is then injected into the body. This may seem alarming at first, however this genetic material is completely harmless, as it isn’t an active part of the virus. In the case of CoronaVirus vaccines, the administration of a vaccine gives the cells within the body instructions on how to construct a protein that fits with this specific virus. This protein is then used to destroy the genetic material inserted from the vaccine, allowing the body to be prepared for if the person is infected with the actual virus.
There are two other types of vaccines that are in Phase 3 of testing which work similarly to the mRNA vaccine, and will likely be approved for use within the US. There is a protein subunit vaccine, which inserts harmless proteins from the virus into the bloodstream, as opposed to the whole germ. This protein then helps the body develop immunity against the virus’ genetic material, like the mRNA vaccine. The final type is a vector vaccine, which contains a weakened version of a live virus. This virus is not the same as the COVID-19 virus, and instead has some genetic material from the COVID-19 causing virus. Once inserted into the bloodstream, this genetic material will help the body create a protein that will fight against the COVID-19 virus.
While the number of people getting vaccinated increases every day, there is still much more to do before we can get back to our “normal” lives. As mentioned earlier, getting a vaccine doesn’t guarantee you immunity to the virus right away--instead it will take some time to develop, meaning proper social distancing measures should still be followed until we are able to reach herd immunity.
Sources Used Cantwell, Megan. “How Do the Leading COVID-19 Vaccines Work? Science Explains.” Science Magazine, 29 Jan. 2021, www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/01/how-leading-covid-19- vaccines-work. “Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-work.html.
COVID-19 Vaccines: The Basics
Aparna Sureshbabu Jan. 1 5, 2021 at 1:20 p.m. PST
To many people, the news that COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in the United States comes as a beacon of hope. The arrival of the vaccine means that we are getting closer to the end of the pandemic and to the return of our “normal” lives. To help you better understand this vaccine, this article has some facts about its administration and the differences between the types of COVID-19 vaccines in this article.
The vaccine that is currently in widest use is the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which has been authorized for emergency use in the United States by the FDA. As of now, it will only be available for individuals 16 years of age or older. The testing pool for the vaccine did not include children under the age of 16, so further tests will need to be conducted before the vaccine can be administered to this age group. To get the full effect of this vaccine, you’ll need to get two doses of it. First, you’ll receive a priming dose, followed by a second “booster shot” three weeks later. Upon getting your first dose of the vaccine, you will be given a vaccination card that proves you have already gotten the first dose. It's imperative that you keep this vaccination card, as you’ll need it to get your second dose and ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Another front runner for the COVID-19 vaccine is the Moderna vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine has also been authorized for emergency use, but this vaccine has only been approved for people 18 or older. Moderna has already begun testing its vaccine on people between 12 and 17 years old to see if the vaccine can be authorized for this age group as well. This vaccine is very similar to the Pfizer vaccine, in that they both have very promising rates of efficiency and both require two doses. The main differences between these two vaccines are their storage requirements. While both need to be kept in cold environments during transportation, the Moderna vaccine needs to be kept at -4 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the -94 degrees required for the Pfizer vaccine. Because the Moderna vaccine requires a less extreme temperature, it is much easier to use and transport throughout the United States, making it a more viable option for smaller towns and hospitals. While the Moderna vaccine would be easier to transport across the country, it also has a slightly longer wait time between the two doses, with people having to wait 28 days compared to the 21 for Pfizer’s vaccine.
Some people have expressed concerns that these vaccines may not be safe because they were created quickly, but those fears are unfounded. The Pfizer vaccine has a very high effectiveness rate of 95%, and the Moderna one has a similar rate of 94%. So far, the only side effects observed from the vaccines are those similar to the side effects of a flu shot. Common side effects include injection site pain, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, injection site redness, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes. Before getting either vaccine, it is important to make sure you aren’t allergic to any of their ingredients, which you can find listed with explanations in this article from Hackensack Meridian Health. Unless you have a severe allergy to an ingredient, it is extremely unlikely that you will experience any long-lasting adverse reactions.
While the authorization of these vaccines is a huge step forward, there’s still a lot of time and work needed before we can truly consider ourselves free from the virus. These vaccines won’t become widely available to the public until a few months have passed. Once they do, it will take even more time to reach herd immunity. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, we may reach herd immunity by the end of summer 2021. In the meantime, it’s important to keep social distancing and wearing masks, in order to take care of ourselves and others as we make it through this long final stretch of the pandemic.