According to a preliminary study carried out in South Africa, people who contracted the South African variant of Covid-19 have better immunity to other SARS-COV-2 mutations.
South Africa is the country hardest hit by the coronavirus on the continent. The South African variant dominates the country, so much so that it was responsible for a second wave of contamination in early February. South Africans also experienced a chaotic start to the vaccination campaign. But the situation could well change with a new study published recently in the journal MedRixv. The authors of this study discovered the South African variant 501Y.V2. For now, the results have not yet been submitted for evaluation by the scientific community and involve only a very small number of subjects. But can we believe in the hope of a vaccine based on this variant to protect against future mutations of Covid-19?
The plasma of people infected with the variant has “good neutralizing activity”
“The 501Y.V2 can generate a high level of antibodies capable of neutralizing them“, said virologist Tulio de Oliveira in a video conference. According to the data of this study, presented by a group of scientists gathered in a Genomic Surveillance Network, only 4% of the 55 subjects already infected with 501Y.V2 were unable to overcome contamination with the strain. origin of the new coronavirus. Scientists also reported that the plasma of people who contracted the South African variant had “Good neutralizing activity” against viruses “From the first wave” and potentially against future variants.
Antibodies generated by the South African variant are 100% effective against the Brazilian variant
“The results of this study basically tell us that we have good hopes of success if we make a vaccine,” said Salim Abdool Karim, epidemiologist and senior advisor to the South African government. Indeed, the study suggests that the antibodies generated by the South African variant were also found to be 100% effective against the Brazilian variant. However, the sample is relatively small, with only seven patients.
Manufacturers are currently considering modifying their vaccines slightly to adapt them to the latest mutations. The Moderna laboratory is also a pioneer in this area, announcing a clinical trial of a version of its vaccine specially adapted to the South African variant which will begin in mid-March.
