Early transmissibility assessment of the N501Y mutant strains of SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom, October to November 2020
Kathy Leung, Marcus HH Shum, GM Leung, Tommy Tsan‐Yuk Lam, Joseph T. Wu
Abstract
Two new SARS-CoV-2 lineages with the N501Y mutation in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein spread rapidly in the United Kingdom. We estimated that the earlier 501Y lineage without amino acid deletion Δ69/Δ70, circulating mainly between early September and mid-November, was 10% (6-13%) more transmissible than the 501N lineage, and the 501Y lineage with amino acid deletion Δ69/Δ70, circulating since late September, was 75% (70-80%) more transmissible than the 501N lineage.
Topics & Concepts
Lineage (genetic)Transmissibility (structural dynamics)Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)MutationMutantBiologyVirology2019-20 coronavirus outbreakCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Spike ProteinGeneticsMedicineOutbreakGeneInternal medicineInfectious disease (medical specialty)VibrationDiseaseVibration isolationQuantum mechanicsPhysicsSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchSARS-CoV-2 detection and testingViral Infections and Outbreaks Research