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#ChemVsCOVID: How variant tracking and sequence sharing help the fight against the virus

December 17, 2021 0Comments 1Like 306Views

ChemVsCOVID infographic marking 18 Dec 2020, the date on which the Alpha variant was designated as a variant of concern. The first column discusses tracking variants. Coronavirus variants arise from mutations in the virus RNA, its genetic code. These mutations occur over time as the virus copies itself. The mutations can be used to identify variants and track their spread. As of December 2021, over 6,000,000 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences have been submitted to the shared GISAID database, from most of the countries in the world.

The second column discusses variant consequences. Most mutations in the virus genome have little or no effect on the characteristics of the virus. But some mutations in the code cause more meaningful changes, such as those affecting the spike protein. The spike protein helps the virus enter cells. It’s the main target of vaccines and our body’s immune response. Changes to the spike protein’s structure may increase the virus’s infectivity and ability to evade immune responses. — Click to enlarge

On this day a year ago, the Alpha variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was designated a variant of concern. The final graphic in the #ChemVsCOVID series with the Royal Society of Chemistry looks at how variants are tracked and what causes the differences between them.