LONDON – The EU is taking concerted action to detect new variants of SARS-CoV-2, investing €225 million (US$270 million) to increase viral genome sequencing to 5% of positive cases across Europe, and to carry out research on their evolution and transmissibility.

LONDON – South Africa has decided against using the 1 million doses of Astrazeneca plc’s COVID-19 vaccine already in the country to start the rollout of its national vaccination program, in favor of opening a phase IIIb study of Johnson & Johnson’s single shot product. “Over the next few days, we expect to announce a plan to expedite vaccination using [J&J’s] investigational vaccine in health care professionals in South Africa,” said Glenda Gray, CEO of the South African Medical Research Council and chair of the country’s research committee on COVID-19.

LONDON – There is “a realistic possibility” that infection with the B 1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with a 30% to 40% increased risk of death compared to earlier variants of the virus, according to scientists on the U.K. government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group. That conclusion is based on studies by three university groups, linking community PCR testing to mortality.

It has been a year since Wuhan health authorities first issued a bulletin about a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause, first bringing what would become the COVID-19 pandemic to the attention of the World Health Organization. Now, a mutation that significantly increases SARS-CoV-2’s transmissibility has been detected in the U.S. 

It has been a year since Wuhan health authorities first issued a bulletin about a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause, first bringing what would become the COVID-19 pandemic to the attention of the World Health Organization. Now, a mutation that significantly increases SARS-CoV-2’s transmissibility has been detected in the U.S. On Dec. 29, Colorado public health authorities reported the first known case of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 (Variant Under Investigation, year 2020, month 12, variant 01), also called B.1.1.7, variant in the U.S. The patient in question, a male in his 20s, has not traveled internationally, indicating that the variant is already circulating more widely in the U.S.

Despite concerns to the contrary, none of the mutations currently documented in the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear to increase its transmissibility in humans, according to a new analysis of viral genomes from 46,723 people in 99 countries who contracted COVID-19.