What we know about the new Delta dynasty may hold back Israel

Director of the Department of International Affairs at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Asher Shalomon, told the Knesset Committee on Law and Constitution, referring to AY3, which is believed to have originated in South America and was first discovered in the United States.

Just two days later, the ministry announced that 10 cases of AY3 had been identified in Israel, eight among people who had recently returned from abroad and two who appeared to have contracted the infection in the country.

What do we know about AY3? Was it the last straw that broke the camel’s back and led to another Israeli stop?

“AY3 is a subtype of the delta variant, which falls into the category of what we call Delta-Plus variants,” said Professor Cyril Cohen, head of the Immunotherapy Laboratory at Bar Ilan University. “They all represent a mutation called 417, which is suspected of helping the variant escape the antibodies.”

All viruses tend to mutate constantly. Although most mutations have no consequences, a combination of mutations can generate a new variant and the virus can produce a different protein as a result. In the case of coronaviruses, the primary protein to consider is the spike protein, which is on the surface of the virus and allows it to penetrate host cells and cause infection.

Variants are of concern when they increase the transmissibility of the virus, as they tend to cause more severe symptoms or appear more resistant to antibodies.

“We saw that as of May, the strain was almost non-existent in the United States and now accounts for about 13% of all cases across the country, and in some individual states like Mississippi and Missouri, up to 43%-45% of cases.” Cohen.

When asked if he thinks the alternative has arrived in Israel and that the country is at greater risk of closure, the professor said he still doesn’t think we’ve reached that point.

“We have to keep a close eye on what is happening and see if it becomes prevalent in Israel,” he said. “With the original Delta, we were in a similar situation: It was already in Israel in April, but it lay dormant until cases suddenly started increasing in June,” he said.

Harel’s rescue flight brings back Israeli coronavirus patients from Iceland. (Credit: IMA – Medical Travel)

“When we had fewer cases, we were able to solve almost all of them,” Cohen said.

As for how worried the variant would be if it spread, Cohen said it’s too soon to know because the information is still very limited.

“My impression is that when it comes to antibody protection, it won’t be an all-or-nothing problem, but we will maintain some form of protection, even if the vaccine is less effective,” Cohen said.