Pfizer study suggests vaccine works against virus variant

Of course. Unfortunately, this virus has absolutely no emotion whatsoever. It is changing. Andi. It's been necessary to change in response to this new variant, this new strain that's emerging on dumb its's. These are appropriate restrictions. The new strain is more transmissible. Um, if there's one piece of good news, it doesn't appear so far that it causes any worsening of the disease, Which is important. Ondas. Far as we know at this stage, the vaccines should still work against it. But it's a difficult time. Look, the all viruses mutate constantly, and indeed, people mutate constantly, but but we only reproduce every 25 years. The virus reproduces every few minutes, Um on and it's there have bean new variants emerging throughout, so I don't think there's anything. We should be particularly more concerned about it more. But there is just a tendency. The viruses that do well are the ones that transmit most easily. It is possible there will have to be restrictions for longer Onda. A lot, of course, depends on how effectively people socially isolated they were socially distance because it will stop if people, uh, keep apart as much as possible social social distancing will work. It's just that the measures need to be longer Onda, somewhat more extensive with the virus that can transmit a bit more easily way Don't know for 100% that it is more infectious. We do know that the spike protein has mutated, meaning made mistakes in reproduction on. Therefore it looks like it is the predominant strain on. Therefore, the conjecture is that it may be more infectious. My view would be maybe, but the other important bit is we have had, ah, lot off human to human interactions as well. People indoors, shopping, schools, colleges, universities open, etcetera. So it is a double issue one, maybe a variant that is more infectious. I accept that maybe, and the other one is human behaviors as well, which have led to the rising number of cases. Um, we have known for some time that this is rapidly becoming the new predominant strain on. Then, finally, we saw a reaction. Today, people like myself and many off my colleagues have been saying for a long time whether it is a new strain, a new mawr infectious strain. The evidence is case numbers are going up irrespective on therefore We need to take urgent action sooner rather than later. We're always catching up rather than being react. You know, acting as soon as we should have been acting. This new variant not only moves fast, it is increased in terms of its ability to transmit, but it is becoming the dominant variant. It is beating ALS, the others in terms of transmission, so this virus transmits and spreads fast. If we draw lessons from what happened in the United States over Thanksgiving, we can see that they've had a major increase in the number of cases in the weeks following Thanksgiving. And I think we can expect see the same thing after the Christmas relaxation. This may be more infectious, but I don't think the severity of illness is any less than it was before.

Video above: Scientists discuss coronavirus variant behind spike in UK casesNew research suggests that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two highly contagious variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa.Those variants are causing global concern. They both share a common mutation called N501Y, a slight alteration on one spot of the spike protein that coats the virus. That change is believed to be the reason they can spread so easily.Most of the vaccines being rolled out around the world train the body to recognize that spike protein and fight it. Pfizer teamed with researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for laboratory tests to see if the mutation affected its vaccine's ability to do so.They used blood samples from 20 people who received the vaccine, made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, during a large study of the shots. Antibodies from those vaccine recipients successfully fended off the virus in lab dishes, according to the study posted late Thursday on an online site for researchers.The study is preliminary and has not yet been reviewed by experts, a key step for medical research.But “it was a very reassuring finding that at least this mutation, which was one of the ones people are most concerned about, does not seem to be a problem” for the vaccine, said Pfizer chief scientific officer Dr. Philip Dormitzer.Viruses constantly undergo minor changes as they spread from person to person. Scientists have used these slight modifications to track how the coronavirus has moved around the globe since it was first detected in China about a year ago.British scientists have said the variant found in the U.K. — which has become the dominant type in parts of England — still seemed to be susceptible to vaccines. That mutant has now been found in the U.S. and numerous other countries.But the variant first discovered in South Africa has an additional mutation that has scientists on edge, one named E484K.The Pfizer study found that the vaccine appeared to work against 15 additional possible virus mutations, but E484K wasn’t among those tested. Dormitzer said it is next on the list.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, recently said vaccines are designed to recognize multiple parts of the spike protein, making it unlikely a single mutation could be enough to block them. But scientists around the world are conducting research with different vaccines to find out.Dormitzer said if the virus eventually mutates enough that the vaccine needs adjusting – much like flu shots are adjusted most years — that tweaking the recipe wouldn’t be difficult for his company's shot and similar ones. The vaccine is made with a piece of the virus genetic code, simple to switch, although it’s not clear what kind of additional testing regulators would require to make such a change.Dormitzer said this was only the beginning “of ongoing monitoring of virus changes to see if any of them might impact on vaccine coverage.” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Video above: Scientists discuss coronavirus variant behind spike in UK cases

New research suggests that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two highly contagious variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa.

Those variants are causing global concern. They both share a common mutation called N501Y, a slight alteration on one spot of the spike protein that coats the virus. That change is believed to be the reason they can spread so easily.

Most of the vaccines being rolled out around the world train the body to recognize that spike protein and fight it. Pfizer teamed with researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for laboratory tests to see if the mutation affected its vaccine's ability to do so.

They used blood samples from 20 people who received the vaccine, made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, during a large study of the shots. Antibodies from those vaccine recipients successfully fended off the virus in lab dishes, according to the posted late Thursday on an online site for researchers.

The study is preliminary and has not yet been reviewed by experts, a key step for medical research.

But “it was a very reassuring finding that at least this mutation, which was one of the ones people are most concerned about, does not seem to be a problem” for the vaccine, said Pfizer chief scientific officer Dr. Philip Dormitzer.

Viruses constantly undergo minor changes as they spread from person to person. Scientists have used these slight modifications to track how the coronavirus has moved around the globe since it was first detected in China about a year ago.

British scientists have said the variant found in the U.K. — which has become the dominant type in parts of England — still seemed to be susceptible to vaccines. That mutant has now been found in the U.S. and numerous other countries.

But the variant first discovered in South Africa has an additional mutation that has scientists on edge, one named E484K.

The Pfizer study found that the vaccine appeared to work against 15 additional possible virus mutations, but E484K wasn’t among those tested. Dormitzer said it is next on the list.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, recently said vaccines are designed to recognize multiple parts of the spike protein, making it unlikely a single mutation could be enough to block them. But scientists around the world are conducting research with different vaccines to find out.

Dormitzer said if the virus eventually mutates enough that the vaccine needs adjusting – much like flu shots are adjusted most years — that tweaking the recipe wouldn’t be difficult for his company's shot and similar ones. The vaccine is made with a piece of the virus genetic code, simple to switch, although it’s not clear what kind of additional testing regulators would require to make such a change.

Dormitzer said this was only the beginning “of ongoing monitoring of virus changes to see if any of them might impact on vaccine coverage.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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