SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant facts for kids
| Alpha | |
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| General details | |
|---|---|
| WHO Designation | Alpha |
| Lineage | B1.1.1.7 |
| First detected | Kent, England |
| Date reported | November 2020 |
| Status | Variant of concern |
| Symptoms | |
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| Cases map | |
| Major variants | |
BA.1 (B.1.1.529.1)
BA.2 (B.1.1.529.2) BA.3 (B.1.1.529.3) BA.4 (B.1.1.529.4) BA.5 (B.1.1.529.5) |
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The Alpha variant (also known as B.1.1.7) was a type of SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused COVID-19. It was first found in Kent, England in late 2020. Scientists noticed it because it spread much faster than the original virus. Some experts thought it was 40% to 80% easier to catch.
This variant spread quickly because of changes in its spike protein. The spike protein helps the virus enter human cells. The Alpha variant had more changes than other viruses usually do. In May 2021, the World Health Organization officially named this variant "Alpha" to make it easier to talk about.
Contents
What Is the Alpha Variant?
The Alpha variant was a specific version of the virus that causes COVID-19. It was known by different names, like the UK variant or British variant, because it was first found in the United Kingdom. People in the UK often called it the Kent variant after the area where it was discovered.
Scientists gave it more technical names, like "lineage B.1.1.7" or "VOC-202012/01". VOC stands for "Variant of Concern," meaning it was a version of the virus that health experts were worried about.
How the Virus Changed
Viruses like SARS-CoV-2 often change a little bit, which are called mutations. The Alpha variant had 23 specific changes. Some of these changes made the virus act differently.
One important change was called N501Y. This change happened in the virus's spike protein. The spike protein is like a key that helps the virus unlock and enter our body's cells. The N501Y change made this key fit better, which helped the virus spread more easily.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
When the Alpha variant was common, doctors noticed some new symptoms in people who had COVID-19. Besides the usual symptoms, people often felt:
- Chills
- Loss of appetite
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
How Doctors Found It
Doctors used special tests to find the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There were some worries that these tests might not find the Alpha variant. But health experts in the UK found that the common tests still worked well to detect it.
Stopping the Spread
By late 2020, several COVID-19 vaccines were ready or being developed. People wondered if these vaccines would still work against new variants like Alpha.
Luckily, SARS-CoV-2 does not change as fast as some other viruses, like the flu. Experts believed that the existing vaccines would still protect people from the Alpha variant.
A Special Mutation: E484K
Later, scientists found some Alpha variant cases that had another change called the E484K mutation. This mutation was also seen in other variants, like Beta and Gamma. The E484K mutation worried scientists because it might make vaccines a little less effective.
How It Spread
The Alpha variant spread much faster than the earlier versions of the virus. Some studies suggested it was 40% to 90% more contagious. This meant that one infected person could pass it to more people.
Why It Spread Faster
The N501Y mutation in the spike protein was a big reason for the faster spread. This change made the virus stick better to human cells. This stronger connection made it easier for the virus to infect people.
How Dangerous Was It?
At first, experts were not sure if the Alpha variant caused more serious illness or death. But later studies showed that it might have led to a slightly higher risk of needing hospital care or even death compared to older versions of the virus.
For example, one study in the UK found that people with the Alpha variant were about 64% more likely to go to the hospital.
Where It Spread
The Alpha variant was first found in the UK in September 2020. It then quickly spread across the country. By December 2020, it was causing most of the COVID-19 cases in London and other parts of South East England.
Spread in Europe
After the UK, the Alpha variant spread to many other countries in Europe. By early 2021, it became the main type of COVID-19 virus in countries like:
- Ireland
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Italy
- Belgium
- France
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Sweden
- Spain
- Poland
Spread in North America
The Alpha variant also reached North America. It appeared in the United States in late November 2020 and became the most common variant by March 2021. In Canada, it was first found in December 2020 and spread to all ten provinces by February 2021.
Controlling the Spread
Because the Alpha variant spread so easily, countries had to use stronger measures to control it. This included stricter lockdowns and rules about keeping a distance from others.
Many countries also stopped or limited travel from the UK and other places where the variant was spreading. This was to try and slow down its arrival in new areas. However, some experts believed that by the time travel bans were put in place, the variant had often already arrived.
When It Disappeared
Eventually, the Alpha variant was replaced by newer variants, like the Delta variant. By October 2021, health officials in the UK said that Alpha had mostly "disappeared." In March 2022, the World Health Organization confirmed that Alpha was no longer widely circulating because newer variants had taken over.
Images for kids
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Amino acid mutations of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant plotted on a genome map of SARS-CoV-2 with a focus on Spike.
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False-colour transmission electron micrograph of the Alpha variant. The variant's increased transmissibility is believed to be due to changes in structure of the spike proteins, shown here in green.
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See also
In Spanish: Variante alfa del SARS-CoV-2 para niños
- Variants of SARS-CoV-2: Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Omicron
