South African strain resisting plasma and monoclonal antibodies: bad news

Discussion in 'Coronavirus Pandemic Discussions' started by CenterField, Jan 20, 2021.

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  1. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    "SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2, a novel lineage of the coronavirus causing COVID-19, contains multiple mutations within two immunodominant domains of the spike protein. Here we show that this lineage exhibits complete escape from three classes of therapeutically relevant monoclonal antibodies. Furthermore 501Y.V2 shows substantial or complete escape from neutralizing antibodies in COVID-19 convalescent plasma. These data highlight the prospect of reinfection with antigenically distinct variants and may foreshadow reduced efficacy of current spike-based vaccines."

    This is not good, my friends. There is no way to see it as not concerning. We still hope for partial immunity from the current vaccines but it's not good. I've been saying here, I am much more concerned regarding the South African variant 501Y.V2 than the British variant B.1.1.7.

    https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.18.427166v1.article-info

    It is true that mRNA vaccines can be tweaked in 3 months to new strains. But the logistics would be devastating. We're barely managing the rollout of the existing ones...
     
  2. dharbert

    dharbert Well-Known Member

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    They would have died from starvation or by the local warlord anyway...
     
  3. lemmiwinx

    lemmiwinx Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Non-scientist here but isn't this like a doomsday bug for old people? It's mutating too fast to ever contain it with a vaccine. That's why we don't have a vaccine for the common cold.
     
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  4. Moi621

    Moi621 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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  5. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    No, it's not mutating that fast. And no, it's not why we don't have a vaccine for the common cold. The latter is caused by a huge number of different viruses. Four of them are coronaviruses but there are literally thousands that aren't, so there is no way to target a vaccine to thousands of different viruses, most of them haven't even been named.

    The above (the OP) is no guarantee that the mRNA vaccines won't be effective against the new strains. It appears at this point all but certain that they will cover the B.1.1.7 strain. It is a lot less certain that they will cover the 501Y.V2 but not excluded, because vaccine antibodies are different from natural convalescent serum antibodies and monoclonal antibodies. Also, paradoxically, the Pfizer vaccine is fostering more and better antibodies than natural infection. But this protection could be lower which would still be a problem especially for older people or immuno-deficient people.

    In as little as 6 weeks, BioNTech can tweak the vaccine to the new strain in South Africa and make a new batch. The problem is, it remains to be seen if regulatory agencies would immediately confirm the new batch as safe and approved without additional clinical trials, and then there is also the issue of raw ingredients, vials, syringes, distribution, inoculation, etc., if we need to redo this all over again.

    It seems likely that we'll need an annual Covid-19 shot like we have annual flu shots.

    My concern is if this new variant spreads widely before we have the time to cover the population for the older strains then recover them for the new strain. It is concerning, like I said.
     
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  6. sec

    sec Well-Known Member

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    I wonder if we'll ever learn the truth about from which lab this virus originated and who actually paid for the research.

    In any event, the virus is going to do what it's going to do. Masking up, locking down, tanking the economy, shuttering businesses will not stop mutations be they more or less lethal or contagious.

    There was definitely politics at play as those in "power" took the opportunity to financially injure folks
     
  7. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    New and recent research by Rockefeller University suggests that both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines are protective against both the UK's and the South African strain. If confirmed, we've dodged a bullet for now.
     
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  8. TheAngryLiberal

    TheAngryLiberal Banned

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    Well that's awesome news, after the 2020 Debacle, I'm not really in the Mood to start hearing the Vaccines are useless against some new Terminator mutation of Covid-19
     
  9. Eleuthera

    Eleuthera Well-Known Member Donor

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    Oh boy, more fear mongering. What would we do without it!
     
  10. fiddlerdave

    fiddlerdave Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Be helpless and Go back to the Dark Ages again, apparently, if Sec and Etherea were in charge!

    Trump's motto!
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2021

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