"More variants were actually enabled by the vax."
The first vaccination in the US was on Dec. 14. By then,....
COVID-19 Variants: Symptoms, Transmissibility, and More (verywellhealth.com)
The first strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. At that time, it was called the L strain.1
Once the virus was out in the world infecting human hosts, it had plenty of opportunities to start changing. Each time the virus made copies of itself (replicated), it had a chance to make errors in its genes and undergo changes (mutations).
It didn’t take long for COVID to start mutating enough that variants of the original virus emerged.2
To keep track, the World Health Organization (WHO) started to give each variant that it was keeping an eye on (deemed “variant of interest,” “variant of concern,” or “variant being monitored”) a name using the Greek alphabet.34
Strains vs. Variants
Strains and variants are different. A variant is when a virus changes (mutates) from the original version—for example, an error in the genetic code happens when the virus is replicating.
- A variant is like a new “take” on the original virus.
- A strain is when a virus has so many variants that it starts acting differently—for example, it’s much more transmissible than the previous version.
All strains are variants, but not all variants are new strains.
Here’s a look at the most notable strains and variants of the COVID virus throughout the pandemic.
B.1.1.7 (Alpha)By the end of 2020, the original L strain of the COVID virus had gone through multiple mutations, including the S, V, and G strains.
The first highly publicized variant—B.1.1.7, then called Alpha—showed up in the United Kingdom in September 2020.
Alpha caused a surge of COVID infections around the world, starting before any vaccines were available. This variant was more deadly than the original strain of the COVID virus.5
The most common symptoms of B.1.1.7 were similar to those reported with the original strain and included loss of taste or smell, fever, dry coughs, shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
The three major vaccines against COVID—Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J—all were effective against Alpha.
B.1.351 (Beta)Shortly after Alpha was discovered, the Beta variant of the COVID virus (B.1.351) was identified in South Africa. It quickly spread to other countries.
An estimate cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested that the Beta variant was about 50% more transmissible than the original strain of the COVID virus, it only ever accounted for a very small percentage of the overall cases in the United States.6
The three main vaccines offered in the U.S.—Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J—were effective against Beta.
Variants and Long COVID
Lasting symptoms after a COVID infection—called “long COVID” or post-COVID conditions—have been linked to different risk factors, including age and vaccination status.7
Some research suggests that some variants might be more likely to lead to long COVID symptoms than others.8
For example, infection with Omicron might be less likely to lead to long COVID than infection with earlier variants.
P.1 (Gamma)P.1, the Gamma variant of the COVID virus, was first identified in Brazil in November 2020.9
Gamma was not responsible for many COVID cases in the U.S.
In the fall of 2021, the CDC noted that there appeared to be a risk for “breakthrough” COVID infections in people who had been fully vaccinated.10
Although data on the Gamma variant was limited, experts did not see evidence that it was as transmissible as the Alpha variant or the upcoming Delta.
B.1.427 and B.1.429 (Epsilon)In July 2020, researchers identified a new variant in Southern California.11 The WHO called it Epsilon, and it included B.1.427 and B.1.429. By the fall, experts considered it one of the variants to monitor.
The main concern with the Epsilon variant was that the mutations in the spike protein would make it able to get around the antibodies people had from a previous COVID infection or a vaccine and that it would spread more easily.
Similarly, there were concerns that antibody treatments for COVID would not be as effective.12
B.1.617.1 (Kappa)B.1.617.1 was dubbed the Kappa variant. It was first detected in India in the fall of 2020. It spread to other countries and the WHO considered it a Variant Under Investigation.13
However, global public health experts did not consider it to be a major variant of concern. As of fall 2021, the WHO deemed it a variant to monitor.
Most of the reported cases of COVID linked to the Kappa variant were in India.14
Research suggested that vaccines were at least somewhat effective against Kappa.
C.37 (Lambda)C.37 was called the Lambda variant. It was first identified in Peru in December 2020.15 It spread to other countries, including the U.S., but did not account for as many cases as other circulating variants.
As with other new strains, the main concerns were that the Lambda variant would spread more easily, cause more severe illness, and resist vaccines and treatments.
B.1.525 (Eta)B.1.525, the Eta variant, was first detected in the UK and Nigeria in December 2020.
It did not account for as many cases as other circulating variants, and researchers were not sure what the implications of the changes in the virus would be in terms of transmissibility and immunity.16 |
