New COVID 19 Variant Might Be Resistant to Vaccines Making Them Less Effective Experts Warn

• Experts warn that the new Covid 19 variant, B.1.1.529, might be more effective at resisting vaccines
• This could make the current Covid 19 vaccines less effective against the new highly infectious form of the virus
• However, it is not clear of the new variant will increase the number of deaths or the risk of serious illness in those who are vaccinated

JOHANNESBURG - Experts have cautioned people that the newly detected variant of Covid 19 might be resistant to vaccines.

This could mean that the current Covid 19 vaccines might be less effective against the virus.

The new variant, named B.1.1.529, is still very much an unknown factor and its effect on the fourth wave of Covid 19 is still unclear.

Gauteng has become the epicentre for the pandemic in South Africa with far more cases being reported in the province than anywhere else in the country.

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The new Covid 19 variant might not cause the rate of death to increase or for patients to develop serious illnesses according to EWN.

Earlier, Al Jazeera reported that the new Covid 19 variant is responsible for the surge in infections in South Africa.

The new variants new mutations have made it more effective at fooling the human body's immune system.

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Earlier, Briefly News reported that a new Covid19 variant that is said to carry a very high number of mutations has reportedly been found in Botswana, South Africa and Hong Kong.

There are currently only 10 cases that have been definitively confirmed to be the Covid19 variant in the three countries.

The B.1.1.529 variant has raised concerns to scientists because it has 32 mutations in the spike protein. The spike protein is the part of the coronavirus that is used in the vaccine to target the virus in the immune system, according to The Guardian.

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In addition to affecting the virus's capacity to infect cells and disseminate, mutations in the spike protein make it more difficult for immune cells to combat the infection.

There is still little information on the variant and scientists will keep an eye on it to see whether it develops traction.

Source: Briefly News