According to reporting from KXAN in Austin, Texas A&M University researchers have identified a new COVID-19 variant that originated in the state.
The variant called BV-1 was taken from a saliva sample from a student and scientists believe it’s related to the United Kingdom variant -- the dominant U.S. variant, according to the CDC.
The student displayed flu-like symptoms for nerly a month, indicating a viracity unlike normal infection in shown in young adults. Although only one mild case has been confirmed, researchers are extremely concerned that the variant shows resistance to antibodies.
“We do not at present know the full significance of this variant, but it has a combination of mutations similar to other internationally notifiable variants of concern,” GHRC Chief Virologist Ben Neuman said in a press release. “This variant combines genetic markers separately associated with rapid spread, severe disease and high resistance to neutralizing antibodies.”
There have been five COVID-19 variants confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but researchers across the world have