Czech lab detects 'undescribed mutation' of coronavirus as cases continue to rise

kmA virology lab in the Czech Republic has discovered a previously unknown strain of coronavirus which they say does not spread more rapidly than the ones that already exist. The announcement was made by Omar Sery, biologists and founder of Brno-Židenice based Elisabeth Pharmacon, which found the new strain. In a Twitter post, he revealed that the laboratory made the discovery using “sequencing of samples” obtained from patients infected with the SARS-Cov-2 infection in Czechia.

The epidemiologist said that the new mutation does not appear to be more contagious, and COVID-19 vaccines should be effective against it. In his tweet, he explained that the mutation was currently in a  position that should not affect the binding of antibodies and cellular receptors, implying that vaccines would work. 

Surging cases in Czech 

Like other European states, the Czech Republic is also witnessing an uptick in COVID-19 cases. As per the latest tally by John Hopkins University, the country has reported a total of 1,516,772 cases since the pandemic began. At least, 26,036 people have lost their lives due to lethal respiratory infection. 

Meanwhile, the coronavirus is mutating at an alarming rate. Just last week, the Russian Vector laboratory found a new isolate of the South African COVID-19 variant, said the press office for Russian consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor on March 24. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to tighten its grip across the globe with new variants that are deemed more infectious than the existing, known strain of the novel coronavirus, the Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement on Wednesday that the South African variant, B.1.351 has been found in Russia. 

"The scientists of the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector of Rospotrebnadzor found a new isolate of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that belongs to the B.1.351 lineage first identified in South Africa. The pan genomic sequencing has shown that there are two extra deletions in ORF1ab and S genes along with mutations specific to the South African variant," the statement said. 

(Image: Pixabey/OmarSeryI/Twitter)