ABOUT THIS EPISODE
New descendant of the Delta variant, Delta, predominant, 99.8% of sequenced cases in England
As of 11 October 2021
Uploaded 20-10-21
Delta, predominant variant, 99.8% of sequenced cases in England
Delta sublineage newly designated as AY.4.2
There are also small numbers of new cases of Delta with E484K and Delta with E484Q
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigation-of-sars-cov-2-variants-technical-briefings
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1025827/Technical_Briefing_25.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/19/fears-grow-in-england-over-rise-of-new-covid-delta-variant
https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/16463658/new-delta-subvariant-uk-more-infectious/
https://www.italy24news.com/News/164491.html
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/delta-ay-sub-variant-which-requires-urgent-research-found-in-these-us-states/ar-AAPFk3S
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58965650
UK genetic sequencing, 6%, now 8% or more
UK, over a million sequences performed so far
On an increasing trajectory
US, Denmark, Canada
US, 3 cases sequenced, no clusters reported
North Carolina, California, DC
10 cases in Israel, all from US
UK, 14,247 sequenced as of Monday, October 18th
AY.4.2, Delta Plus, Spike protein change
(AY means it is a delta subtype)
(AY.4 is already 80% in the UK)
Mutations - Y145H and A222V
Found in various lineages since the beginning of the pandemic
Will this give the virus additional powers?
Vaccine escape?
Slight effect on the binding between antibodies and the virus
Not yet a variant of concern or variant under investigation
WHO, next few days, nu variant
Original Delta, classified as VOC, UK May 2021
July 2021 experts identified AY.4.2.
Sublineage of Delta, increasing slowly since then
Prof Francois Balloux, University College London, Genetics Institute
It is potentially a marginally more infectious strain.
It's nothing compared with what we saw with Alpha and Delta, which were something like 50 to 60 percent more transmissible.
So we are talking about something quite subtle here and that is currently under investigation.
At this stage I would say wait and see, don't panic.
it is not something absolutely disastrous like we saw previously
Dr Jeffrey Barrett, Covid-19 Genomics Initiative, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, and Prof Francois Balloux
AY.4.2 could be 10-15% more transmissible than the original Delta variant.
Unlikely to be fuelling current UK increases
(That’s mostly school age and to their parents)
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