UNC Study: COVID-19 Mutation Spreads Faster, But Treatable by Same Vaccine

A new variant of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom and Europe has led to concern over renewed spread of the virus. Research conducted by UNC, however, found the virus should be treated by the vaccines being distributed worldwide and does not cause more illness.

A new study published by UNC and University of Wisconsin epidemiologists, microbiologists and immunologists examines the potential effects of the coronavirus’ D614G variant. A mutation of the “ancestral form” known as SARS-CoV-2, this variant spreads more quickly than the original COVID-19. According to the research published in Science magazine, patients with this strain carry the virus more in their upper respiratory tract and were reported to show increased infectivity. The report says D614G has now become the most prevalent version of COVID-19 in the world because of how effectively the mutation causes transmission.

“The D614G virus out-competes and outgrows the ancestral strain by about 10-fold and replicates extremely efficiently in primary nasal epithelial cells, which are a potentially important site for person-to-person transmission,” said Ralph Baric, professor of epidemiology, microbiology and immunology at UNC, in a university article.

Baric’s team of researchers recreated this COVID-19 mutation and partnered with Wisconsin virologists to test it for the study. The Wisconsin research team of Yoshihiro Kawaoka and Peter Halfmann used hamsters to perform replication and airborne transmission studies with both the original virus and the variant.

Ultimately, the research concludes while the D614G strain does infect people more quickly, its ability to spread makes it more susceptible to treatment. The study says the mutation causes the virus’ crown-like spikes to develop flaps, which allows it to infect cells more quickly. That flap, however, makes it easier for antibodies included in the vaccine treatments to attack and enter individual virus particles. The research also suggests this variant would also make symptoms or side-effects of the virus less severe.

Baric told UNC as mutations continue, though, more research and data must be conducted on how the D614G variant actually affects humans.

“SARS-CoV-2 is an entirely new human pathogen and its evolution in human populations is hard to predict,” he said. “To maximally protect public health, we must continue to track and understand the consequences of these new mutations on disease severity, transmission, host range and vulnerability to vaccine-induced immunity.”

More information on the UNC and Wisconsin study about the D614G strain of COVID-19 can be found on the university’s communications website.

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