2 ms·
I'm not a specialist, but I can link you to the answer: [1] Key quote: "B.1.1.7 is defined by 23 mutations from the original Wuhan strain, 8 of which are in th
by raphlinus 6y ago
I'm not a specialist, but I can link you to the answer: [1]
Key quote: "B.1.1.7 is defined by 23 mutations from the original Wuhan strain, 8 of which are in the spike protein. The 3 mutations hypothesized to have the largest potential biological effect are N501Y, spike deletion 69-70del and P681H."
The B.1.351 (South Africa) variant has N501Y but not the 69-70 deletion. We're still learning, but virologists I follow are concerned that N501Y may be a driver of higher transmission. But it's likely that multiple mutations contribute.
[1]: https://asm.org/Articles/2021/January/B-1-1-7-What-We-Know-About-the-Novel-SARS-CoV-2-Va https://asm.org/Articles/2021/January/B-1-1-7-What-We-Know-A...