Variants of viruses occur when there is a mutation in the virus’s genes. It is in the nature of RNA viruses such as the Coronavirus to rapidly evolve. According to doctor Stuart Ray, “Geographic separation tends to result in genetically different variants.”  Nowadays there are multiple different versions of the Coronavirus strains. 

     One mutation was detected in England in September of 2020. The variant is known as B.1.1.7, becoming the most common version of the variant in the United Kingdom and accounting for 60% of new Covid-19 cases since December. A variant called B.1.351 appeared in South Africa and may reinfect those who have recovered from the earlier versions of the virus. This variant was also identified In the United States at the end of January 2021. Furthermore, it is also speculated that this variant may be resistant to some of the Coronavirus vaccines that have been developed. South African researchers concluded that the Covid-19 Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine provided minimal protection from the B.1351 variant. 

     The most deadly of all of these variants is B.617, which was first found in India.  Now, this variant has spread to more than 8 countries in the world. The L452R mutation has been detected in a large number of cases in Maharashtra with some outbreaks in California. Genomic analysis has revealed that both E84Q and L452R mutations can be a concern of increased infectivity. These mutations depict two separate spike proteins on the Coronavirus strain. The spike protein is a part of the virus’s outer layer, through which it attaches to human host cells and invades the body. Both these variants can alter the spike protein, thereby binding more tightly to the human host cells and multiplying faster. The structure of the spike protein also changes which is a threat for vaccines. This mutation can also invalidate the impact on antibodies generated from vaccines in the first infection. 

  According to doctor Stuart Ray, “There is  new evidence from laboratory studies that some immune responses driven by current vaccines could be less effective against some of the new strains.” Some of these mutations may enable the Coronavirus to spread faster from person to person, and more infections can result in more people getting sick and dying.      

    There will be new Coronavirus variants as long as the virus spreads through the population. New variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are detected every week. When a change in the infection pops up, it can be very hard to tell what’s driving the trend. It is extremely worrisome that similar changes to the spike protein are arising independently on multiple continents. Thus, it is extremely important to follow SOPs to restrict and prevent the spread of the mutation of the virus.