Earlier this week, officials in Malaysia confirmed the presence of the D614G strain of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). So what is the D614G strain of SARS-CoV-2 and what does it mean with relation to the ongoing pandemic?

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According to recent reports from Malaysia, a man who had returned from India had violated quarantine resulting in a cluster of at least 45 cases of COVID-19 in the country. The D614G strain (with a G-to-A base change at position 23,403 in the reference strain) of the virus was identified upon studying these individuals. This particular strain of the virus has largely been seen in cases spread throughout Europe and the United States.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at a recent online event hosted by the Journal of the American Medical Association had stated that a single mutation had occurred which may allow the virus to spread more easily. As per current research findings, the single mutation which occurred in a specific amino acid allegedly made it easier for the virus to replicate once it had entered a host (in this context, the host is a human cell). This resulted in a higher viral load, which in theory is thought to be able to be more easily transmissible to other individuals. However, there is not yet enough evidence to prove this.

Higher viral load but no difference in prognosis

In one paper that was published in the United Kingdom, scientists studied around 1000 individuals who had been found to be infected with this particular strain of the virus and had been admitted in hospitals. They found that while the people who had been confirmed to be infected with the D614G strain of the virus had higher concentrations of the virus in their body, there was no significant difference in the hospital outcomes (prognosis) when compared to individuals who had been infected with a different strain of the virus.

How will vaccine development be affected?

With several scientists rushing to produce an effective vaccine, the discovery of this strain now has led to the question as to whether vaccine development will be hindered by its discovery. Scientists have noted that the specific mutation has led to a variation in the spike protein, which is seen in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The spike proteins present on the surface of the virus have been known to be the reason why the virus is able to enter human host cells with ease. At present, experts believe that the new strain of the virus will not make a difference to ongoing vaccine developments.

“D614G is not in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein, but in the interface between the individual spike protomers that stabilise its mature trimeric form on the virion surface through hydrogen bonding,” reads one paper published in CellPress. This means that while the mutation is in the spike protein, it is located in a manner whereby it doesn’t have a major change in the overall structure of the virus. This, as a result, gives reason to believe that vaccines will not be affected by the particular strain of the virus.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.