A new variant of Covid-19 has been identified by the UK Health Safety Agency. The new strain, CH.1.1, nicknamed Orthrus, has the potential to become dominant across the region.
According to one of the largest surveillance sites in the country, the Sanger InstituteOrthrus already accounts for 23.3% of all recorded coronavirus cases in the nation, and responsible for 100% of positive tests in at least 15 districts.
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The nomenclature Orthrus is a reference to a figure from Greek mythology: a two-headed dog with a serpent’s tail. The animal has a brother, Cerberus, who has an extra head and is known for protecting the gates of hell.
Despite the apocalyptic name, it is still too early to say whether the new variant can cause more severe cases of the disease or escape the immunity ensured by bivalent vaccines.
Orthrus
Even though Orthrus is responsible for the largest number of infections in the country, specialists consider that the BQ.1.1 variant, called Kraken, is growing faster, is more transmissible and has greater immune escape than other strains in circulation.
Scientists have found that both subvariants have genetic quirks. The first has a mutation called P681R, similar to the Delta variant. It is believed that the genetic transformation is an improvement in attacking cells, and causes severe disease.
The researchers also revealed that the variant contains a mutation in the R346T gene, which helps the strain fight antibodies generated in response to the vaccine or previous infection.
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Kraken already has a mutation called F486P, which helps to circumvent antibodies that fight Covid-19, and S486P, which improves the variant’s ability to bind to human cells.
The two new strains combined with the National Health Service (NHS) crisis and an outbreak of flu, triggered calls for the return of pandemic-era restrictions in the UK.
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