A drive-thru coronavirus testing facility in Pretoria, South Africa.
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers / Bloomberg
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers / Bloomberg
A study by South African scientists into the new coronavirus variant that is causing the revival of cases in the country raises concerns about the effectiveness of vaccines and a new class of therapies.
According to the South African National Institute of Communicable Diseases, half of the blood samples taken from a small group of people recovered from Covid-19 did not have the necessary antibodies to protect against the 501Y.V2 strain. In the other half, the antibody levels were lowered and according to the institute, the risk of re-infection could not be determined.
New strains of the virus have also been identified in countries including the UK and Brazil, leading to concerns that increasingly dangerous versions of the emerging pathogen could hamper the global explosion of vaccines.
The gender line recently identified in Brazil “also has changes in key positions” shown in this study to affect ‘neutralizing antibodies’, the scientists said. “Our data indicate that this lineage is also likely to show a significant level of neutralization. resistance, which concerns both sexes of major health care. ”
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The findings of the NICD may predict a reduction in the effectiveness of current vaccination based on peaks, ‘the scientists said. They also suggest that treatment with plasma from donors who had the coronavirus may not be successful in those with this variant. The findings were not evaluated by a peer and were based on samples from 44 donors.
“These data highlight the need for increased, ongoing oversight and sequencing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic,” said the authors, including Penny Moore, a professor at the NICD.
The tension that has arisen in South Africa is approx. 50% more transferable than earlier versions, Salim Abdool Karim, co-chair of the Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee, said in a submission earlier this week. However, there is no evidence that it is more likely to cause hospitalization or death, he said.
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A separate study by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE showed that their Covid-19 vaccine would protect against the new variant of the coronavirus that originated in the UK. Scientists have previously said that many existing vaccines can, if necessary, be adapted to new strains.
– Assisted by Naomi Kresge
(Updates with a small sample size and that the study was not assessed in the fifth paragraph)