SARS-COV-2 variants

Abstract

On 14 December 2020, authorities of the United Kingdom reported to WHO a variant referred to by the United Kingdom as SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01 (Variant of Concern, year 2020, month 12, variant 01). This variant contains 23 nucleotide substitutions and is not phylogenetically related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating in the United Kingdom at the time the variant was detected. How and where SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01 originated is unclear. SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01 initially appeared in South East England but within a few weeks began to replace other virus lineages in this geographic area and London. As of 26 December 2020, SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01 has been identified from routine sampling and genomic testing conducted across the United Kingdom . Preliminary epidemiologic, modelling, phylogenetic and clinical findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01 has increased transmissibility. However, preliminary analyses also indicate that there is no change in disease severity (as measured by length of hospitalization and 28-day case fatality), or occurrence of reinfection between variant cases compared to other SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the United Kingdom.1 Another of the mutations in the VOC 202012/01 variant, the deletion at position 69/70del was found to affect the performance of some diagnostic PCR assays with an S gene target. Most PCR assays in use worldwide will use multiple targets and therefore the impact of the variant on diagnostics is not anticipated to be significant. Laboratory evaluation has demonstrated no significant impact on the performance of antigen-based lateral flow devices. As of 30 December, VOC-202012/01 variant has been reported in 31 other countries/territories/areas in five of the six WHO regions.