What is the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant, and how is UT-Austin reacting to its arrival?

February 22, 2021 B.1.1.7, the COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, found its way to UT’s campus Feb. 5, and as of Feb. 11, UT has identified four cases of B.1.1.7. The new variant spreads faster than the current circulating strain and is expected to become the dominant coronavirus variant in the United States by March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The first B.1.1.7 case in the U.S. was reported on Dec. 29, and by Jan. 7, it was in Texas. Travis County first identified a case of the variant on Feb. 3. Amy Young, chief clinical officer for UT Health Austin, said UT expects the number of B.1.1.7 cases to increase. Young said the University plans to strengthen health and quarantine guidelines. Advertisement Young said UT will soon announce new health recommendations for people to double mask using a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask. The recommendation is partially because of the variant, but also because of new CDC recommendations, she said. UT also plans to remove the opportunity for COVID-19 positive patients to test out of quarantine, Young said. The University previously allowed people who were in recommended 10-day quarantines to leave early if they tested negative on day eight. “Until we know a little bit more about (the variant), we want to take a conservative approach and not offer testing to get out early,” Young said. Ilya Finkelstein, associate professor of molecular biosciences, said B.1.1.7 seems to be 40-50% more transmissible, which could overrun health care systems and lead to more deaths if the variant is widespread. British scientists have found evidence that B.1.1.7 is slightly more deadly, and a mutation known as E484K in the strain could make vaccines less effective. Austin Public Health officials have said they believe current vaccines will work against the variant. “I think concerns about vaccine efficacy are a little overblown at the moment,” Finkelstein said. “The data’s not fully in, but it sure looks to me like vaccine efficacy is still very high for these circulating variants.” The variant possibly spreads more easily because of mutations in the virus’ spike protein, Finkelstein said. He said the spike protein acts like a “molecular key” to unlock the human cell, and the variant’s mutation makes it a better “key” to increase transmissibility. Finkelstein said scientists don’t fully understand what makes the virus more transmissible. One leading hypothesis for how the B.1.1.7 variant formed was after the virus infected an immunocompromised person and persisted for months, he said. Multiple variants of COVID-19 are circulating, but health officials and experts are mainly watching three: B.1.351 from South Africa, P.1 from Brazil and B.1.1.7 from the U.K. To detect B.1.1.7, scientists use a sequencing machine to determine a positive COVID-19 sample’s DNA. UT started this process, which takes one to two weeks, in January, said Andreas Matouschek, associate dean for research and facilities in the College of Natural Sciences. The University expects to finish analyzing January’s samples the week of Feb. 14, he said. “We, as everybody else, saw that the virus was mutating,” Matouschek said. “(UT) wanted to know when these viruses were coming to campus so we could be able to respond better.” Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in The Daily Texan’sFebruary 12 print edition. Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story More to Discover SafeHorns seeks community support to keep West Campus space UT Disability Cultural Center celebrates third anniversary, invites community to new space UT creates campus safety unit with UTPD, resource programs New self-serve ramen restaurant opens in Texas Union Student-created Merch app simplifies finding freebies on campus New fellowship launches, trains students to test energy systems virtually Arrests down on 6th Street, APD public safety indicators improve Lt. Gov. releases list of priorities for upcoming legislative session Student Government budget vote stalls after debate over funding appropriations School of Civic Leadership introduces Israel study abroad program, new majors Department of Education delays collections on unpaid student loans Texas DMV proposes stricter photo ID requirements for vehicle registration, impacting undocumented immigrants More in Uncategorized Austin City Council adopts stricter spending measures, rejects rollover cap An unexpected heated rivalry: Texas Stars win against Henderson Silver Knights in an overtime thriller No. 5 Texas men’s tennis takes on No. 6 Ohio State in Columbus this weekend Rivalry: Cheering, teasing as rivalry builds family memories Photo gallery: Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen at the Moody Amphitheater Audrey Price at Mohawk Menu Close Menu Activate Search Close Close Modal Window Close

Archived from The Daily Texan on 2025-02-09.