With the first U.S. case of the new variant COVID-19 strain now confirmed in Colorado and California, several questions have arisen as to how this may affect the progress made in coronavirus response over the past year.
Newman Regional Health Infection Proventionist Esther Knobloch recently spoke with KVOE News to address some of these concerns. She says virus mutation is a very common occurrence as many viruses are “sloppy in their replication” of genetic material.
Knobloch says the mutation has altered the “spike protein,” — the protein that binds the virus to the human host — leading to faster and easier transmission amongst hosts. Thankfully, Knobloch says the ease of transmission, as of now, is the only notable difference with the variant strain.
Knobloch adds that health professionals are confident at this time the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will still be sufficient in combating the new strain. She says while the mutation has altered the “spike protein” from the original strain the alterations were not so drastic as to reset the progress made in COVID-19 research over the past year.
Knobloch says the variant strain does pose one concern for health professionals. As the mutation occurred at the genetic level, Knobloch explains that certain COVID-19 tests that identify the virus at the genetic level may not be as effective as they were with the original strain.
Knobloch says the only way to test specifically for the new COVID strain is through whole-genome sequencing which is not commonly available at this time. She says for now residents simply need to continue traditional mitigation strategies such as mask usage in public, maintaining six feet of social distance and proper hand hygiene to reduce the potential for contracting or spreading the virus.
Also, health officials are not recommending any immediate changes to quarantine or isolation practices due to the variant strain, however, Knobloch says scientists are currently evaluating the strain with any new recommendations or adjustments to be made on an as-needed basis.
