It has been more than a year, and almost two since coronavirus has been around. Just as time passes by, it starts having ‘mutations’ or evolves. In simpler words, the word means it replicates or makes copies of itself, and changes a little bit. When a virus starts having one or more mutations, it is referred to as a ‘variant’. Currently, there are variants of concerns and variants of interests with names proposed for them based on the types.

Chart with a summary of the four main Covid-19 variants of concern

From Kent, UK, with the scientific name B.1.1.7 or the UK variant is named after the Greek letter Alpha (α). It is estimated to be 40%–80% more transmissible than the normal type SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus) and was detected in November 2020 from a sample taken in September. It began to spread quickly by mid-December and corresponds with the increase in COVID-19 infections in the United Kingdom. This increase is thought to be at least partly because of one or more mutations in the virus's spike protein. The variant is also known for having more mutations than normally seen in others. According to a new study on BioRxiv, the alpha variant may be more infectious because it contains mutations that make it better adapted to foil the innate immune system, probably for long enough to allow the virus to replicate and potentially find new hosts. Fortunately, COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca all appear to protect against Alpha.

The Beta variant (β) which was scientifically named B.1.351, was first detected in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa. It has been found in 92 countries. Data has it that the beta variant may evade the body's immune response. Antibodies work when they attach to the virus and stop it from entering the host cells. But, the beta has mutations called E484K and K417N at the site where antibodies latch on. In early lab tests, antibodies produced by Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines couldn't attach as well to Beta, compared to the original coronavirus.

Named by the World Health Organization as Gamma (γ) or the lineage P.1 from Brazil. It has been found in 52 countries worldwide. It has 17 amino acid changes, ten of which are in its spike protein. Three of them were designated to be of particular concern: N501Y, E484K, and K417T. This variant of Coronavirus was first detected by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) in Japan. It was found in four people who had arrived in Tokyo after 4 days of having visited Amazonas, Brazil.

The Delta (δ) variant or B.1.617.2 was first detected in India at the end of 2020. The variant is thought to be somewhat the cause of India's second wave of virus transmission in February 2021. Based on data, Delta is more infectious than the original virus. It's estimated to be about 60% more contagious than the Alpha variant! Due to mutations that improve its ability to bind to the airways and help it to escape the body's immune response, those infected with Delta also have a higher viral load where they spew more virus particles out into the air, passing it onto another person more easily.

As time passes again, of course, there will be more mutations of the virus so we all ought to protect ourselves by wearing masks, sanitizing, and most importantly, get the vaccine!

SOURCES:

Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants (WHO)

The effects of virus variants on COVID-19 vaccines (WHO)

Covid: WHO renames UK and other variants with Greek letters (BBC)

Mutation in Highly Infectious Alpha Variant May Help Coronavirus Evade Immune System (UCSF)

SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant (Wikipedia)

SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant (Wikipedia)

What are the Delta, Gamma, Beta and Alpha Covid variants? (BBC)

4 coronavirus variants can make people sicker or spread faster, including the Delta variant first found in Indea. Here's what variants are, and why experts are so concerned about them. (Businessinsider)

SARS-CoV-2 Gamma variant (Wikipedia)

SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant (Wikipedia)

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