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REINFECTION & VACCINE SENSITIVITY—the concern is now growing very very real. This piece highlights the big S Africa 
CDC report I shared earlier, where antibodies from previously infected don’t recognize the #B1351 variant in 48% of patients. 
#COVID19
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/health/coronavirus-variants-immunity.html
CDC report I shared earlier, where antibodies from previously infected don’t recognize the #B1351 variant in 48% of patients. #COVID19https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/health/coronavirus-variants-immunity.html
2) “The results “strongly, strongly suggest that several mutations that we see in the South Africa variant are going to have a significant effect on the sensitivity of that virus to neutralization” says a virologist from @nicd_sa, South Africa’s CDC.
3) And the #B1351 variant did not just 48% had “complete immune escape”, but 90% also showed reduced immune response. That’s a lot.
4) “Fears that the vaccines would be powerless against new variants intensified at a scientific conference held online on Saturday, when South African scientists reported that in laboratory tests, serum samples from 21 of a group of 44 Covid-19 survivors did not destroy #B1351.
5) “The samples that were successful against the variant were taken from patients who had been hospitalized, who had higher blood levels of so-called neutralizing antibodies — the subset of antibodies needed to disarm the virus & prevent infection — than those only mildly ill.”
6) What about blood from vaccinated people? One study tested blood from 14 people who had received Moderna vaccine (white) & 6 who had received Pfizer-BioNTech (red). There was a drop in neutralizations w/ both N501Y (many variants) and E484K mutations ( #B1351 & #p1 variants).
7) Furthermore, “neutralization by 14 of the 17 most potent mAbs (monoclonal antibodies — eg Regeneron drug) tested was reduced or abolished by either K417N, or E484K, or N501Y mutations.” Not good. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.15.426911v1
8) That said, Dr. Nussenzweig said it “is not something that we should be horribly freaked out about.” It is a “sight drop”.
The vaccine results are much better than convalescent blood of naturally infected patients— that makes sense. Because vaccine induced stronger immunity.
The vaccine results are much better than convalescent blood of naturally infected patients— that makes sense. Because vaccine induced stronger immunity.
9) I wrote a much more detailed thread yesterday summarizing different variants and what we know so far. Here is the exact declaration by South Africa’s CDC warning about #B1351. And then I explain the E484K mutation that it has.
Read below
https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1351686170044989442
yesterday summarizing different variants and what we know so far. Here is the exact declaration by South Africa’s CDC warning about #B1351. And then I explain the E484K mutation that it has. Read below
https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1351686170044989442
10) Keep in mind that vaccines are different from natural infection. The 48% immune escape highlighted above is among convalescent patients.
Vaccine offers STRONGER & more ROBUST long term immunity than natural infection—seen in P1/P2 trial of both Pfizer & Moderna vaccines.
Vaccine offers STRONGER & more ROBUST long term immunity than natural infection—seen in P1/P2 trial of both Pfizer & Moderna vaccines.
11) The vaccine will still work for sure. It just maybe be a few minor % drop in efficacy from 95% (2 doses)... but even if 70-90%, that is still better than 0% protection w/out a vaccine!
And vaccines work 100% against severe disease, which you don’t want.
And vaccines work 100% against severe disease, which you don’t want.
