COVID-19: New Variants of Concern / Virtual School & Health

By Kelly Young

Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH

The CDC has classified the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.427 and B.1.429 strains, which were first detected in California, as variants of concern. They join the following variants on that list: B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1.

A variant of concern is defined as one that's associated with an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease, a reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated from previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or evidence of test failure.

B.1.429 and B.1.427 are roughly 20% more transmissible than wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and may not be as responsive to certain treatments. B.1.429 represents 8.1% of circulating SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S., while B.1.427 is at 3.3%.

So far, none of the emerging variants have met the CDC's criteria for variants of high consequence. Those are defined as being associated with a demonstrated failure of diagnostic tests, a significant reduction in vaccine protection, significantly reduced susceptibility to authorized treatments, and more severe clinical disease and more hospitalizations.

In other COVID-19-related news, families who did at least part of their schooling virtually reported worse mental- and physical-health-related outcomes, according to an MMWR study.

Nearly 1300 parents of children aged 5 to 12 years were surveyed in October and November 2020. Those whose children attended only virtual school reported that their children had decreased physical activity (63% vs. 30% for in-person-only students), less in-person time with friends (86% vs. 70%), and worsened mental or emotional health (25% vs. 16%). Children who received both virtual and in-person instruction also had worse outcomes than those who were receiving only in-person schooling. In addition, virtual school parents were more likely than in-person school parents to report their own emotional distress (54% vs. 38%) and trouble sleeping (22% vs. 13%). Virtual instruction was more common among Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic other/multiracial families than white families.

The authors write: "These findings highlight the importance of in-person learning for children's physical and mental well-being and for parents' emotional well-being. Community-wide actions to reduce COVID-19 incidence and support mitigation strategies in schools are critically important to support students' return to in-person learning."

CDC variant surveillance (Free)

CDC variant case update (Free)

CDC variant map (Free)

MMWR article (Free)

NEJM Journal Watch COVID-19 page (Free)

NEJM COVID-19 page (Free)