Variant might partially evade protection from vaccines or prior infection, early research suggests

[orangecrush]

CNN)A new study suggests someone might be able to get infected with one of the new variants of the coronavirus even if they've had Covid-19 before or have been vaccinated.

The variant was first spotted in South Africa in October and has now been found in more than a dozen countries.
"I think we should be alarmed," said Penny Moore, associate professor at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa and the senior author of the study.
"Based on Penny's data, it's likely that the vaccine is going to be somewhat less effective, but how much less effective we don't know," said David Montefiori, a virologist at Duke University Medical Center.

Montefiori added that this is the first study that gives him serious doubt about whether prior infection or a vaccine will protect against a new coronavirus variant.
"This is the first time I've been concerned about a variant partially evading the immune response and partially evading the vaccine," he said.
Both experts emphasized that people should still get the vaccine. It's extremely effective against other forms of the virus and they think it likely will still give some level of protection against the new variant as well.
The study was posted on a pre-print server and has not been peer-reviewed and published in a medical journal.
This is one of the first reports to look at the variant's effect on antibody potency. Labs around the world are furiously studying the issue and expect to report results within the next few weeks.
"I worry desperately in the next six to 12 weeks we're going to see a situation with this pandemic unlike anything we've seen yet to date. And that is really a challenge that I don't think most people realize yet,"


https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/19/health/coronavirus-variant-vaccine-protection/index.html

[MustLoveBeagles]

1. Well that sucks

[Delmette2.0]

2. Is this the one with bent spikes?

[Turbineguy]

3. As a practical matter

it may not make all that much difference. There are a bunch of people who will not get vaccinated and thus keep this pandemic going.

[Blue_true]

7. Someone posted a reply to an OP that I did yesterday on this very same study.

The post had a link to a summary by an expert. The expert pointed out that the reason why society try to end viral pandemics as fast as possible is because the virus can mutate to become more infectious, but not more deadly, or it can mutate to become more deadly, with a varying number of infectivity possibilities.

We may very well already have a SARS-COV-2 mutant in the world that is deadlier than anything we have seen so far. We have had a lot of violent anti-maskers in this country, but we are by no means alone in that regard among free countries in the world, so the SARS-COV-2 has had good ground to grow dangerous mutants.

[RockRaven]

4. THIS IS WHY INFECTION-GENERATED "HERD IMMUNITY" IS FUCKING STUPID AS PUBLIC POLICY

Sorry about the all caps, but...

Seems appropriate.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. That was just an excuse to keep doing nothing except grifting.

[orangecrush]

10. This could have been prevented.

Trump wants us all dead.

[coti]

8. Among other reasons

Like everyone getting infected isn't "immunity" at all. It's the exact opposite of immunity and totally defeats the purpose of even discussing the issue.

[orangecrush]

9. Agree 100%

[Lady Freedom Returns]

6. 👎🤢👿😷😞🖕

K&R! 👿👎

[orangecrush]

11. I hope

They throw his orange ass in prison.