World has 4,000 Covid-19 variants according to the latest study

The world faces around 4,000 variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, prompting a race to improve vaccines, Britain said on Thursday, as researchers began to explore mixing doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots in a world first.

Thousands of variants have been documented as the virus mutates, including the so-called British, South African, and Brazilian variants which appear to spread more swiftly than others.

British Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi said it was very unlikely; that the current vaccines would not work against the new variants.

“It’s very unlikely that the current vaccine won’t be effective on the variants whether in Kent or other variants; especially when it comes to severe illness and hospitalization”; Zahawi told the local News channel.

“All manufacturers, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and others; are looking at how they can improve their vaccine to make sure that we are ready for any variant;  there are about 4,000 variants around the world of COVID now.”

While thousands of variants have arisen as the virus mutates on replication; only a very small minority are likely to be important and to change the virus in an appreciable way; according to one study.

The so-called British variant, known as VUI-202012/01; has mutations including a change in the spike protein that viruses use to bind to the human ACE2 receptor;  meaning that it is probably easier to catch.

“We have the largest genome sequencing industry – we have about 50% of the world’s genome sequencing industry – and we are keeping a library of all the variants so that we are ready to respond – whether in the autumn or beyond – to any challenge that the virus may present and produce the next vaccine,” Zahawi said.

The novel coronavirus – known as SARS-CoV-2 – has killed 2.268 million people worldwide since it emerged in China in late 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.