Posted on 01/24/2021 5:00:51 PM PST by Capt. Tom
A new variant of COVID-19 that is inflicting heavy damage across Southern Africa can evade the immunity that is normally provided by previous infection, researchers are discovering.
The research is the latest to raise questions about the dangers of the new variants that were detected in South Africa, Britain and Brazil in recent weeks. Scientists have already warned that the new variants are about 50 per cent more transmissible than earlier variants.
It is still unclear whether the COVID-19 vaccines will be fully effective against the new variants, or whether the vaccines might need to be modified. Studies to be published in South Africa in the next few days or weeks should help to answer that crucial question, and their results will have “global importance,” according to Shabir Madhi, a prominent South African vaccinology professor,
The authors said the new data were worrisome, but they also noted that the vaccines could still produce a broader antibody response that will protect people against the new variants. They emphasized that vaccination is still absolutely recommended.
Earlier this week, South African scientists reported on similar research that showed a significant risk of reinfection from the new variant for people who had been infected by earlier variants.
“The blood samples from half the people we tested showed that all neutralizing activity was lost,” said a report this week by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases. “This suggests that they may no longer be protected from reinfection.”
Researchers also examined South Africa’s data on COVID-19 tests. They found 4,000 potential cases of reinfection, where people had twice tested positive for the virus, with a minimum 90-day interval between the tests.
It appears that the mutations in the new variant “have allowed the virus to become resistant to antibody neutralization,” the South African institute said.
(Excerpt) Read more at theglobeandmail.com ...
Third vaccine and people will stand in line to get this. Not me!!
The evil is out in full force like never before.
Neither will I.
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