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HV. 1 has overtaken EG. 5 as a variant in the United States.
By Dana G. Smith
Two very similar variants, EG. 5 and HV. 1, now account for about a portion of Covid-19 cases in the United States.
EG. 5 the dominant variant nationwide in August. At the time, the World Health Organization classified it as a “variant of interest”, meaning that it has genetic modifications that give it merit and its prevalence is increasing. Since then, the variant appears to have stabilized, remaining at 20-25% of cases in September and October.
HV. 1 emerged in the United States late last summer and accounts for a larger proportion of the circulating virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it overtook EG. 5 as the dominant variant last week and now accounts for one in 4 Covid cases.
Experts have also observed two other variants, BA. 2. 86 and JN. 1, which account for a small fraction of cases but which, according to scientists, cause an alarming number of mutations.
How worried are other people about those variants?
While severe illness in the elderly and others with underlying conditions remains a concern, as does long Covid in those infected, experts say EG. 5 and HV. 1 don’t pose a really extensive risk, or at least not more than one risk. one of the other primary variants that have circulated this year.
The EG. 5 variant became known in China in February 2023 and first detected in the United States in April. It is a descendant of the Omicron XBB. 1. 9. 2 variant and has a notable mutation that is helping it evade antibodies developed through the immune formula. in reaction to previous variants and vaccines.
That mutation “could mean that more people are vulnerable because the virus can evade that immunity a little bit more,” said Andrew Pekosz, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
But EG. 5, also called Eris, doesn’t appear to have any new roles in terms of contagion, symptoms, or likelihood of causing serious illness. Diagnostic tests and remedies like Paxlovid are still effective against this virus. Perhaps most importantly, the new vaccines, which target a similar XBB variant, appear to produce a sufficient amount of antibodies that act against EG. 5.
HV. 1 descends from EG. 5 and closely resembles it. The efficacy of the new vaccines against HV. 1 is not yet known, but Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said he didn’t expect it. they will be particularly different in their effectiveness against EG. 5.
Given the similarity of the variants, it’s unclear exactly how HV. 1 outperformed EG. 5, however, one of the few additional mutations in HV. 1 likely gave it merit over its predecessor. “Whenever a new variant dominates, through definition has merit,” Dr. Barouch said. “And the merit gained is greater transmissibility or greater immune evasion. “
Another variant that scientists followed closely earlier this fall was BA. 2. 86, dubbed Pirola. Experts were primarily concerned about this variant because of the number of mutations it carries in the spike protein, which the virus uses to infect humans. According to Jesse Bloom, a professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who specializes in the evolution of the virus, the mutations in BA. 2. 86 constitute “an evolutionary leap of similar size” to the adjustments. in the first Omicron variant compared to the original strain of the coronavirus.
Adding to the concern, early knowledge indicated that the new vaccines would probably not be very effective against BA. 2. 86. However, evidence has since emerged that the levels of antibodies produced in reaction to BA. 2. 86 are comparable to those developed in reaction. to EG. 5, suggesting that vaccines will be sufficiently protective against this virus. Another study found that BA. 2. 86 might not possibly be as transmissible as other types of viruses.
As a result, BA. 2. 86 did not consolidate as scientists feared; Currently, no cases have been reported on the CDCVariant tracker. Dr. Bloom said it’s not unusual for new variants to disappear or spread widely.
Just as EG. 5 evolved to produce HV. 1, JN. 1 recently emerged from BA. 2. 86. According to information published on October 18 on X (formerly Twitter) via Chinese scientists, JN. 1 carries a mutation that gives it even more immune-evading capabilities, but it also appears to bind to human cells. Time will tell if JN. 1 gains ground or follows in the footsteps of BA. 2. 86.
More than the threat conferred by any individual variant, it’s the immediate speed of the virus’s evolution that worries Trevor Bedford, a professor in the department of vaccines and infectious diseases at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. “No variant has had such an impact,” he said, “but the overall accumulation of those mutations is having a significant impact. “
Dana G. Smith is a reporter for the Good section, where she has written about everything from psychedelic treatments to workout trends to Covid-19. Learn more about Dana G. Smith
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