Mutant Centaurus . Coronavirus
The Centaurus mutation is essentially another sub-variant of the Omicron mutation.
The Omicron mutation is known to be predominant throughout the world with its subvariants being found in every country especially with subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
A new Omicron sub-variant BA.2.75, known as Centaurus, is causing concern and confusion around the world as to whether it will be the next cause of a pandemic.
However, the Centaurus BA.2.75 mutation has not yet been designated as a variant that can cause concern, although we are still in the early stages.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has described the Centaurus mutation as a “variant under surveillance”, as it has been identified in many European countries, including the UK, Germany and even Greece, but not all.
Centaurus Mutation Transmissibility.
Experts first spotted this variant in India in May, where it reportedly spread faster than other Omicron sub-variations.
BA.2.75 has reached more than twenty countries, including several countries in America and Europe. However, experts question how big a threat it will pose to the rest of the world after the rapid introduction of BA.5 .
Like other Omicron subtypes, Centaurus BA.2.75 is more infectious and more effective at evading both human immune system and vaccine-induced immunity and infections from previous variants.
Although data is still limited, researchers have determined that the sub-variant carries nine mutations in its proteins.
“Centaurus” and vaccines
According to a study published in The Lancet: Infectious DiseasesTrusted Source in September 2022, antibodies from current COVID-19 vaccines or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection are likely to be effective in preventing severe symptoms from Centaurus infection with the BA.2.75 subtype of the virus.
The researchers who conducted the study found that BA.2.75 is about as sensitive to antibodies formed in response to SARS-CoV-2 as BA.5.
“Our study shows that Omicron BA.2.75 has about the same level of antibody resistance as the dominant BA.5 variant, which is reassuring if we suffer a BA.2.75 surge.
Will the BA.2.75 Centaur be a dominant mutation?
The current level of testing is also too low to say whether BA.2.75 will become the dominant variant in the next wave.
The Delta variant is still being detected, and as we know the virus remained hidden in immunosuppressed patients for more than a year before re-emerging as a new variant. A year ago Delta was dominant, without the presence of Omicron, so making predictions about what the dominant variant might be in the future is not an easy task.
The Centaurus mutation in Greece
On Tuesday 13/9/22 , Greece confirmed the first case of omicron variant BA.2.7 also known as Centaurus in the country. Health authorities have not disclosed where the outbreak was detected.
Greek experts have warned that Centaurus could become a dominant disease in Greece from late September to early October.
Why are we still seeing new variations?
As most of the world’s population has either been vaccinated, infected, or both, variants that can infect people despite their immunity will have an advantage. So, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) is constantly evolving to gain this advantage.
New variants that have mutations that evade our immunity will reproduce and spread, leading to waves of infections. We saw this most recently with BA.4 and BA.5.
The immune memory system recognises infections based on the molecular structures of viruses and other pathogens. The mutations slightly alter the molecular structure of each SARS-CoV-2 variant, making it more difficult for our immune system to recognise and respond to the virus. This is called “immune evasion”.
The concern about the Centaurus BA.2.75 mutation is that it has identified a number of mutations, which may suggest that this variant can evade immunity. But there is insufficient evidence at this stage that BA.2.75 can evade the immune system in a significant way.
Most of BA.2.75 is structurally the same as the omicron and the original Wuhan variant. Although Centaurus BA.2.75 has identified some mutations, it is not essentially a different virus.
The memory immune system will still act against BA.2.75, which is what we’ve seen with omicron. This immunity may not be enough to stop reinfection, but it should reduce the severity of an infection.
Mutation Symptoms
Centaurus Mutation Symptoms
So far, scientists have not found any significant differences in the onset of symptoms for patients with the Centaurus mutation compared to Omicron 2, 4 or 5.
According to the British National Health Service, the most common symptoms of coronavirus include:
- High fever
- Constant coughing
- Loss or change in sense of smell and taste
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Synahi
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