SARS-CoV-2 Iota variant

Iota variant,[1] also known as lineage B.1.526, is one of the variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in New York City in November 2020. The variant has appeared with two notable mutations: the E484K spike mutation, which may help the virus evade antibodies, and the S477N mutation, which helps the virus bind more tightly to human cells.[2]

By February 2021, it had spread rapidly in the New York region and accounted for about one in four viral sequences.[3][4] By 11 April 2021, the variant had been detected in at least 48 U.S. states and 18 countries.[5][6]

Under the simplified naming scheme proposed by the World Health Organization, B.1.526 has been labeled Iota variant, and is considered a variant of interest (VOI), but not yet a variant of concern.[7]

  1. ^ "Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants". www.who.int. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Barton, Michael I; MacGowan, Stuart A; Kutuzov, Mikhail A; Dushek, Omer; Barton, Geoffrey John; van der Merwe, P Anton (August 26, 2021). Fouchier, Ron AM; Van der Meer, Jos W; Fouchier, Ron AM (eds.). "Effects of common mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD and its ligand, the human ACE2 receptor on binding affinity and kinetics". eLife. 10: e70658. doi:10.7554/eLife.70658. ISSN 2050-084X. PMC 8480977. PMID 34435953.
  3. ^ Rosa-Aquino, Matt Stieb, Paola (March 21, 2021). "Everything We Know About the Coronavirus Variant Spreading in New York City". Intelligencer. Retrieved April 10, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Mandavilli, Apoorva (February 24, 2021). "A New Coronavirus Variant Is Spreading in New York, Researchers Report". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  5. ^ "outbreak.info". outbreak.info. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "PANGO lineages Lineage B.1.526". cov-lineages.org. April 22, 2021. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  7. ^ "Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants". www.who.int. Retrieved June 1, 2021.