‘Epsilon’ Covid Variant Contains Three Mutations Which Could Allow Strain To Bypass Vaccine Immunity
Fully vaccinated people may at risk of infection from the California 'Epsilon' coronavirus variant, a new study finds. Researchers from the University of Washington and Vir Biotechnology, based in San Francisco, found that the variant had three mutations on the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter and infect human cells.
These mutations could provide resistance to neutralizing antibodies generated by the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. What's more, the mutations may be able to evade natural antibodies a person forms after being infected with the virus.
Health experts say neutralizing antibodies are what protect people from the virus, and the variant's ability to resist them could leave people in danger. The Epsilon variant is not believed to be more infectious than the original virus, though.
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