Coronavirus vaccines and mutations: New studies deliver good and bad news

[Chris Smith]

• The UK and South African coronavirus mutations are spreading rapidly, fueling record surges in the two nations.
• The two strains are more infectious than other variants and have reached many other countries, with researchers and health officials worrying about their potential impact on vaccines.
• A new study shows that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine can neutralize the B.1.1.7 strain from the UK.
• Researchers from South Africa found that monoclonal antibodies and plasma transfusions can’t neutralize the mutated spike protein of the B.1.351 variant. This makes reinfection possible and might impact vaccine effectiveness.

Since mid-December, the novel coronavirus strains discovered in the UK (B.1.1.7) and South Africa (B.1.351) have appeared in an increasing number of reports and studies. The two strains feature several mutations each, including genetic changes that impact the key component of the virus that vaccines target: The spike protein. The two mutations are more contagious, and as a result, have fueled the UK and South African COVID-19 surges, with both hitting new case records as the death toll rising as well. The strains were discovered in many other countries, including the US, where the CDC warned that the UK strain could become dominant in the country by March.

Doctors and public health officials worry that mutations might impact COVID-19 immunity, whether acquired after exposure to the virus or after vaccination. This could lead to more infections and reinfections in the coming months if vaccines do not work. New data delivers both good and bad news about the mutations. The current vaccines still work against the UK strain, but the South African variant might be more problematic.

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Coronavirus vaccines and mutations: New studies deliver good and bad news originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2021 at 21:14:34 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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