Covid-19: What new variants are emerging and how are they being investigated?

What do we know about the new variant emerging from Brazil?

This variant, known as P.1 or VOC202101/02 in the UK, was first detected in travellers from Brazil who arrived in Japan in January 2021. It involves 17 unique amino acid changes, three deletions, four synonymous mutations, and one 4nt insertion. It has several mutations that are known to be biologically important, including E484K and N501Y.

The N501Y mutation, which is also a feature of the English variant,1 has been linked to increased infectivity and virulence in mouse models.2 Meanwhile, the E484K mutation is thought to be associated with escape from the neutralising antibodies produced by the body against SARS-CoV-2.3 This mutation is present in the South African variant as well.

P.1 has not yet been detected in the UK, and travel bans have been put in place to try to prevent it reaching the country. There is, however, another variant from Brazil (known as VUI202101/01 in the UK) which contains a small number of mutations that has been found in the UK. As of 14 January 2021, eight cases of this variant—which appears to be of less concern—have been confirmed. Public Health England (PHE) said the “spread and significance of this variant remains under investigation.”

Susan Hopkins, PHE covid strategic …