United Kingdom officials are keeping a close eye on a new COVID-19 sub-variant known as AY.4.2.
The Delta variant mutation, known as "Delta Plus," is producing an "increasing number of infections" in the UK and may even have its own survival advantages.
The good news, researchers, is that AY.4.2 appears "unlikely to take off in a large way or elude current immunizations." It's also not yet classified as a variation of concern or one that's being investigated.
The coronavirus comes in thousands of distinct varieties -- or variants -- all over the world. Viruses are always evolving, so it's not unusual to see new forms appear.
After surpassing the Alpha variant to become the dominant strain of coronavirus in circulation, the original Delta variant was classed as a variant of concern in Britain in May this year.
Professor Francois Balloux, director of University College London's Genetics Institute, said of the mutation that at this moment, "I would say wait and see, don't panic."
"It might be marginally, subtly more transmissible," Balloux added, "but it's not anything completely devastating like we've seen before."
According to data, AY.4.2 is 10% more transmissible than the most common Delta strain in the UK.
Since then, this Delta offshoot or sublineage has been progressively growing. It contains certain novel alterations that impair the spike protein, which is used by the virus to invade human cells.
COVID-19's genetic alterations are being monitored by scientists on a regular basis.
Some of the new mutations are concerning, although the majority are minor. Finding, tracking, and controlling the ones who might matter is the tricky part.
The UK is a forerunner in doing these critical lab analyses, having done over a million tests so far.
The AY.4.2 mutation is "something we're keeping a very careful eye on," a representative for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office said.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the AY.4.2 offshoot is a mutation of the ordinary AY.4, "which is itself an offshoot of the primary 'parent' Delta variant."
Infectious disease expert Peter Chin-Hong told the Chronicle that at this point, "We don't have as much biological evidence that it will cause significant harm."
