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<p>The B.1.351 COVID-19 variant was categorised as a variant of concern (VOC) on 23
December 2020 by the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group. The
decision to raise this lineage to a VOC was taken on the basis of reports indicating
that the strain had replaced pre-existing strains in parts of South Africa and that
there were two cases of B.1.351 identified in the United Kingdom with links to travel
from South Africa. The genetic variations identified in the spike protein of B.1.351
were also cause for concern.</p><p>The three substitutions in the receptor binding
domain, and in particular the E484K substitution, were thought to result in weaker
neutralisation by some monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal neutralising sera. Although
at the time there was no formal modelling from South Africa, the rapid spread of the
variant could be consistent with increased transmissibility, which was also biologically
plausible. More recent data has shown that B.1.351 has greater transmissibility than
the original Wuhan strains of the virus. Evaluation was at an early stage when the
recommendation to escalate this lineage was taken. A copy of PHE Risk assessment for
SARS-CoV-2 variant: VOC-202012/02 (origin: South Africa) of 23 December is attached.</p>
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