Scientists from Denmark announced that a new mutation in the emerging coronavirus BA.2 line, which was called "the hidden omicron", is spreading rapidly in Denmark.
Scientists indicate that the change occurred in the protein responsible for the movement of the virus in human cells, which may increase the speed of transmission of the virus from one person to another. The specificity of this new mutation (H78Y) lies in the protein ORF3a, which causes inflammatory responses in cells.
Researcher Mikhail Bolkov, from the Ural Federal University, said in a statement to the newspaper "Izvestia", that the ORF3a protein helps the virus to travel inside and outside the cell.
"This protein affects the cell's autophagy (the ability to break down proteins back into amino acids) and there are bubbles - chemical containers in which unnecessary proteins are destroyed," he says. "Viruses trick the enzymes in these containers into a vehicle for transporting them into the cell."
The discovery of a copy of "Omicron" that could not be distinguished by PCR examination
The British newspaper "The Guardian" reported that scientists had discovered a "hidden" version of the "Omicron" mutant that could not be distinguished from other variants using a PCR test.
The cryptic copy has many mutations in common with the omicron, but it lacks a "specific genetic change", which is necessary for successful PCR tests.
According to the scientists, it is too early to know whether the cryptic version will spread in the same way as "Omicron", because it is "genetically distinct", and therefore may behave differently.
The hidden version of the "Omicron" mutant was first detected among samples of the virus sent days ago from South Africa, Australia and Canada, and it may have already spread more widely. Of the seven cases identified so far, none are in the UK.
It is reported that the mutant was detected for the first time in South Africa, and it has spread to about 40 countries around the world.
Laboratory studies are currently underway to find out whether "Omicron" is more spreadable, in addition to the extent of its resistance to immunity resulting from the first infection or the vaccine, and whether its effect is more dangerous.
Source: "The Guardian" and "Izvestia" newspaper