UI takes on COVID-19 variant research

New COVID-19 varients have emerged from the pandemic, with higher transmission levels and worse symptoms. The Idaho INBRE Higher Education network and the University of Idaho have joined forces to sequence samples and study COVID-19 variants in Moscow. 

The ongoing pandemic has inspired a varied range of tests that detect the disease. However, the basics of the testing process remain the same.  

“The gold standard molecular PCR tests and the process on the patient-end is the same,” project lead Barrie Robison said. 

Robison is the UI Institute of Interdisciplinary Data Sciences director, as well as a professor in the biology department. 

Robison said that the National Institutes of Health frequently sequences the virus to monitor if the existing tests fit the requirements to detect the evolving variants.   

The study’s goal is to gauge the coalition of the variants in the community and whether the fact that it’s a geographically diverse community is a contributing factor. 

“The big picture goal is to sequence the positive samples that were detected last year when we were testing because we want to see what variants of the coronavirus showed up, when and how did they expand and spread,” Robison said.  

As a college town, Moscow’s main concerns stem from its diversity.  

“One of the biggest concerns is we are a mixing population,” Robison said. “There are all these variants across the state, and the college students bring that stuff here and it all gets mixed up and transmitted.”  

The hope is for the study to solidify the dynamics behind the spread of the variants in the community, while the hurdle is that it’s time-consuming. 

“We want good data on what those dynamics look like, because it’s super relevant right now, but these projects take time,” Robison said. 

While the process on the patient-end remains the same, the lab work becomes more intricate to detect the variants.  

“The variants require much more sophisticated testing, sequencing the entire genome, 30,000 nucleotide bases and figuring out exactly what they are,” Idaho INBRE Program Director and Principal Investigator Carolyn Bohach said. “(That) is how you find the variant.” 

While machinery and technology are available for elaborate sequencing, there are a limited number of labs in Idaho that can do the job. 

Bohach reiterates the importance of getting vaccinated to stop the virus from replicating, which creates the variants.  

“Delta still, is not what it could be,” Bohach said. “This could be a virus that could lead to your death in 24 hours.” 

As for the safety of the vaccine, Bohach believes there’s no reason the public should think it’s too soon. 

 “This virus is creating variants every time it replicates and letting people get sick is allowing the virus to make more of itself,” Bohach said. “The vaccine is so safe; we’ve been working on it since 1990 for viruses.” 

The spread of the variants has been a true game-changer regarding how soon the world tackles the pandemic. However, the ultimate solution remains to be vaccinated. 

“Everyone needs to get vaccinated; every infection allows the virus to relocate and mutate. This is a public issue and has nothing to do with personal or individual rights,” Bohach said. 

Michella Chowdhury can be reached at [email protected]