SARS-CoV-2 Iota variant

Iota variant, also known as lineage B.1.526, is one of the variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in New York City in November 2020. The variant has appeared with two notable mutations: the E484K spike mutation, which may help the virus evade antibodies, and the S477N mutation, which helps the virus bind more tightly to human cells.

By February 2021, it had spread rapidly in the New York region and accounted for about one in four viral sequences. By 11 April 2021, the variant had been detected in at least 48 U.S. states and 18 countries.

Under the simplified naming scheme proposed by the World Health Organization, B.1.526 has been labeled Iota variant, and is considered a variant of interest (VOI), but not yet a variant of concern.

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