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.

Mutations The Iota (B.1.526) genome contains the following amino-acid mutations, all of which are in the virus's spike protein code: L5F, T95I, D253G, E484K, D614G and A701V.

History The increase of the Iota variant was captured by researchers at Caltech by scanning for mutations in a database known as GISAID, a global science initiative that has documented over 700,000 genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2.

The proportion of USA cases represented by the Iota variant had declined sharply by the end of July 2021 as the Delta variant became dominant.SARS-CoV-2 sequences by variant, Jul 26, 2021, USA Our World in Data

Statistics + Cases by country (Updated as of 16 January 2024) GISAIDCountryConfirmed casesLast Reported Case45,98524 June 202116810 June 202115811917 June 202111524 May 202110310 June 20215622 June 20215011 June 20214316 May 20211727 May 2021137 May 20211217 May 20211112 May 2021931 May 2021926 April 2021910 May 2021826 April 2021818 April 2021810 June 2021825 May 2021828 May 202174 April 2021621 May 202164 May 202165 March 2021521 May 2021519 April 202154 June 202149 February 202147 May 2021414 April 2021414 May 202144 May 2021421 December 2020324 March 2021315 January 2021318 May 2021222 April 2021220 March 2021217 January 202128 January 202122 February 2021214 May 202124 March 2021217 April 2021121 April 202113 May 2021125 January 2021115 April 20211130 April 2021114 March 202119 March 2021116 March 2021131 March 2021122 March 202118 May 2021World (57 countries)Total: 46,589Total as of 11 August 2021

See also

Variants of SARS-CoV-2: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Omicron

References