Scientists identify US strain of COVID-19 virus mutation
TAMPA, Fla. - Scientists are working to keep track of how COVID-19 is changing as new coronavirus variants emerge and spread around the United States.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the United Kingdom strain is spreading the most in the U.S., and the Brazil and South African variants are here too.
But a new study published last weekend found the U.S. also has its own virus mutations.
"So what they basically found was that the virus is adapting to humans, and so there’s one particular mutation they’ve found has arisen a number of times in the United States," said Dr. Michael Teng, a USF Health virologist.
Dr. Teng said tracking the changes in the virus is vital to fighting back, but it takes resources.
"If we know what variants are out there, we can test them in the lab. We can see whether the vaccine still works, all that stuff," said Teng.
Pfizer and Moderna said their shots work against the emerging variants, and Dr. Teng says other vaccines show promise too.
"From what we can see at least from the Johnson and Johnson and the Novavax trials which were in the UK and South Africa recently these vaccines still do have acceptable levels of coverage," he said.
Companies are already talking about how to adapt the doses and test them on a smaller scale.
"The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are fairly easy to change. It would still take a couple of months for them to get out," said Teng.
Public health experts said the COVID-19 vaccine may eventually become seasonal like the flu shot, so they need to learn as much as they can.
"I think there’s a growing consensus among virologists, epidemiologists that the virus will eventually still be here with us," said Teng.
President Biden’s proposed coronavirus plan includes a scaled-up plan to track COVID variants with increased genomic surveillance. Scientists say that would help them know exactly what’s spreading.