Naturally, the coronavirus mutates. But scientists are more concerned about some of the changes than others, and are particularly concerned because it could throw a wrench into vaccine effectiveness in the future.
Specifically, the 20C / 501Y.V2 variant – also known as the B.1.351 descent – which Emerged in Durban, South Africa, Worrying because the mutation of the virus is on the SARS-Covy-2 spike, it disguises its appearance in the immune system which can make it easier to bypass the immune defenses. Think of someone who wore a wig to go to an uninvited party, and cheated by changing their appearance to get the bouncer to enter.
“The concern is that there has been a structural change that could change the shape of the spike protein in a way that it is not easily recognized by the immune system, which means antibodies that we amplify through vaccination, as well as occur naturally.” Following the infection, “Dr., a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco, said, ‘It’s a stressful concern.’
Chief Dean Blumberb of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, Davis agreed.
“We need to be immune to that spike protein to prevent infection. If it changes, if it changes too much, then we may lose the immunity we gained through infection or immunization.”
Variant 501Y.V2 is thought to have caused an outbreak of the fast-growing coronavirus in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Researchers first identified the variant in October 2020 in South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Bay. In December 2020, it was also identified in Zambia and the country was found to be under intense tension. According to the initial data of the strain, the variant samples carried 9 changes in the spike protein. One change of 501Y.V2 that is of concern is the N501Y because of how part of the spike changes. Another mutation, dubbed E484K, has altered the shape of the protein in a way that makes it difficult for some antibodies to neutralize the virus.
“There are preliminary studies that suggest that people who have been infected with a previous strain can reduce the virus by up to 10 times.” “So it’s a real concern and it suggests that maybe in South Africa this new way of vaccine-induced immunity can be avoided.”
Really, A paper This is an echo of the concerns published this week about this particular change. An author of the paper Told State News That, despite the findings that the virus is hard to neutralize with antibodies from other strains, in order to have a major impact on the effectiveness of the vaccine, certain transformations will have to be performed in some places.
According to a different Report published this week, Scientists tested the Pfizer vaccine against N501Y using blood samples from 20 people. Fortunately, vaccination worked on them, but the sample size was too small to make it clear that it would be true for the general public.
Does this reinforce the case that COVID-19 vaccines will be similar to the flu vaccine, in the sense that they will be made based on different strains and more frequently?
“Maybe yes, maybe no,” said Ford. “But it would be quite unusual if we had to go inside and change it this fast.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that the potential consequence of this change may be that these types of vaccines may survive immunization, but will not have an immediate effect.
“Vaccination with SARS-Covy-2 and both natural infections produce a ‘polygonal; a response that targets many parts of the spike protein,'” the CDC said. Spike proteins are likely to accumulate multiple mutations. “
Masking and social distance still work to protect people from this stress, which has not yet been identified in the United States. According to the BBC, it has been identified in Ria Austria, Norway and Japan. Notably, there is no evidence to suggest a mutation of this type causes a more serious illness.
“Currently, there is no evidence that these types increase the risk of more serious illness or death,” the CDC said. “New information about this type of virology, epidemiology and clinical features is rapidly coming out.”
