New, Highly Contagious COVID-19 Variant Found In Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH — A new variant of COVID-19 has been discovered in Ohio.

The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center announced it had identified the variant this week. The variant is similar to the one that was identified late last year in the U.K., but with some key differences.

The U.S. strain identified this week has acquired three gene mutations not previously seen in COVID-19, researchers said. Similar to the U.K. strand of the virus, researchers believe this variation is highly contagious.

“The big question is whether these mutations will render vaccines and current therapeutic approaches less effective,” said Peter Mohler, a co-author of the study and chief scientific officer at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “At this point, we have no data to believe that these mutations will have any impact on the effectiveness of vaccines now in use.”

The Wexner Medical Center began sequencing the genome of COVID-19 in March 2020. This new strand of the virus was discovered in a patient in Ohio, but researchers do not yet know how prevalent this strand of the virus is.

“This new Columbus strain has the same genetic backbone as earlier cases we’ve studied, but these three mutations represent a significant evolution,” said study leader Dr. Dan Jones, vice chair of the division of molecular pathology. “We know this shift didn’t come from the U.K. or South African branches of the virus.”

Researchers added that based on their discoveries, COVID-19 may be undergoing similar evolutions in various parts of the world. Jones said viruses naturally change and evolve, but he'll continue to monitor COVID-19 as vaccination begins.

“It’s important that we don’t overreact to this new variant until we obtain additional data,” Mohler added. “We need to understand the impact of mutations on transmission of the virus, the prevalence of the strain in the population and whether it has a more significant impact on human health. Further, it is critical that we continue to monitor the evolution of the virus so we can understand the impact of the mutant forms on the design of both diagnostics and therapeutics. It is critical that we make decisions based on the best science.”