SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Virus variants - General
VUI - Variant Under Investigation VOC - Variant Of Concern

Public Health England (16 Feb 2021) Guidance for investigating and managing individuals with a possible or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern or Variant Under Investigation, GOV.UK.

COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) News and Updates

SARS-CoV-2 lineages - Visualisation of global virus lineages and reports of new variants (UK, South African and Brazilian)

Nextstrain.org SARS-CoV-2 genomic data (Global data)

Microreact SARS-CoV-2 genomic data visualisation (COG-UK)

Eric Topol. Summary table of UK, SA and Brazil variants (Twitter).

Florian Krammer. Vaccine-variant tweetorial

The UK variant/strain Dec 2020 "VUI202012/01" B117
Russell P. (23 Dec 2020) New Variant of SARS-CoV-2 FAQs. Medscape UK.

Increased hazard of death in community-tested cases of SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern 202012/01 Nicholas G. Davies, Christopher I. Jarvis, CMMID COVID-19 Working Group, W. John Edmunds, Nicholas P. Jewell, Karla Diaz-Ordaz, Ruth H. Keogh medRxiv 2021.02.01.21250959; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.01.21250959

New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (21 Jan 2021) NERVTAG note on B.1.1.7 severity - discusses B117 and mortality/disease severity

Baker L. (19 Dec 2020) Independent SAGE scientists share update as new mutation triggers today’s lockdown announcements. Healthcare Newsdesk.

Muik A et al. (19 Jan 2021) Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 pseudovirus by BNT162b2 vaccine-elicited human sera. bioRxiv 2021.01.18.426984; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.18.426984 '' "These data, together with the combined immunity involving humoral and cellular effectors induced by this vaccine, make it unlikely that the B.1.1.7 lineage will escape BNT162b2-mediated protection." ''

Twitter discussion(s) Dr Eric Feigl-Ding: B117 and ?decrease in Pfizer vaccine efficacy

The UK "Liverpool" variant under investigation Jan 2021 VUI202102/01
Public Health England (10 Feb 2021). PHE statement on Variant of Concern and new Variant Under Investigation. GOV.UK.

The UK "Bristol" variant of concern Jan 2021 VOC202102/02 - mixed South African and UK mutations
Public Health England (21 Jan 2020) Investigation of novel SARS-CoV-2 variant Variant of Concern 202012/01: Technical briefing 5. "The spike protein mutation E484K (found in VOC 202012/02 B1.351 and VOC 202101/02 P1) has been detected in 11 B1.1.7 sequences. Preliminary information suggests more than one acquisition event."

The Danish mink variant
Lassaunière R. et al. (Nov 2020) Working paper on SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations arising in Danish mink, their spread to humans and neutralization data. From Statens Serum Institute

The South African variant "501Y.V2" B1135
Wibmer CK et al. (19 January 2021) SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 escapes neutralization by South African COVID-19 donor plasma bioRxiv 2021.01.18.427166; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.18.427166

Twitter discussion(s) Dr Eric Feigl-Ding: B1135 and ?decrease in Pfizer vaccine efficacy

The Brazilian variant "501Y.V3" P1
Faria et al. (Jan 12 2021) Genomic characterisation of an emergent SARS-CoV-2 lineage in Manaus: preliminary findings.

The Indian variant of concern April 2021 B.1.617.2
Public Health England. (May 2021) JCVI advice to mitigate impact of B1.617.2 variant