Thread by @DrZoeHyde

(1/4) Vietnam has reported the emergence of a variant which combines elements of the UK (B.1.1.7) & Indian (B.1.617.2) variants. According to the Health Minister it could spread “very fast” in the air.
➡️ straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/v…

Vietnam is struggling to contain the new variants.

(2/4) A common feature of coronaviruses is their ability to exchange their genetic material (recombination).

This probably happens in all infected people. As the virus reproduces, its copies may exchange genetic material with each other.

Most changes are probably unremarkable.

(3/4) But it’s also possible for people to be infected with different variants at the same time. This is riskier. The more community transmission there is, the more likely this is to occur.

Recombination events like this have been detected in the UK.
virological.org/t/recombinant-…

(4/4) Many of these events will have no clinical significance, but there is a risk that more transmissible or virulent variants could emerge.

This is why it’s crucial to suppress transmission of the virus as much as possible until everyone has had the chance to be vaccinated.

Addendum: It looks like the B.1.617.2 variant acquired the Y144 deletion. Given there’s limited community transmission in Vietnam (in relative terms), this probably represents a more simple case of convergent evolution.

H/T: @ChauTru95729728 for the link:
…s5y-www-vietnamplus-vn.translate.goog/phat-hien-moi-…

Convergent evolution describes the process by which different organisms find the same evolutionary solution to the same problem. Many mutations lead nowhere, but some may give the virus an advantage in reproduction or transmission. We can expect these to pop up around the world.

But co-infection with two (or more) variants is possible and has been previously reported. It’s possible for more serious variants to emerge out of this situation.

🔑 message: suppressing transmission of the virus as much as possible is the best strategy.
theconversation.com/coronavirus-wh…