The AY.4.2 variant cases that may spread faster reach 40,000, an increase of 10,000 in a week

According to the sequencing data, at least 40,000 Delta AY.4.2 COVID variant cases have been detected globally.

AY.4.2 is a subset of the Delta variant, and it seems to change the growth advantage compared to other Delta versions.

However, the current data shows that AY.4.2 does not seem to be more vaccine resistant than Delta, and it has failed to gain a foothold in the United States.

The variant was found almost exclusively in the UK, and it accounts for about 15% of the samples sequenced every day recently.

According to the mutation tracking tool Outbreak.info, as of November 14, the total number of AY.4.2 sequences found worldwide was 40,215, of which 37,883 were located in the United Kingdom

The latest global figures mark an increase of nearly 10,000 cases in a week.

Two mutations that are significantly related to AY.4.2 are called Y145H and A222V. Both mutations affect the spike protein used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter human cells.Scientists have Told before Weekly newspaper Not much is known about these two mutations.

The British government recognizes that AY.4.2 has a small growth advantage compared to other Delta variants, and designates this variant as VUI, or a variant under investigation.

at the same time, A government research proposal Compared to what Delta already has, this variant does not appear to develop any further resistance to the vaccine.

Outbreak.Info shows that AY.4.2 has been detected in 39 countries/regions, including the United Kingdom and the United States, of which Romania and Poland have high prevalence rates.

Most countries have very few cases, of which the United States has only reported 25 sequences from 13 states as of November 14.

Viral mutations are not uncommon. When they spread from person to person, they do it all the time.

These changes are random and most of them are irrelevant or actually harmful to the virus, which means they will disappear, Experts have previously told Weekly newspaper.

But occasionally mutations may provide a certain advantage to the virus, allowing it to outperform other types and spread.

The location where the variant first appears will also vary. Factors include local vaccination rates, population density and existing immune response rates.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Delta variant and all its descendants currently account for 99.9% of all COVID cases in the United States.CDC) data.