Rome, November 26, 2021 – La new Covid variant discovered in South Africa it is frightening, in particular due to the possibility that it may escape, even in part, the protection guaranteed by vaccines. “A partial avoidance of the immune response is likely, but it is equally likely that vaccines will still offer high levels of protection against hospitalization and death,” reads a question and answer page on the new variant B.1.1.529 prepared by the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the public institute of reference on infectious diseases. “Currently, no unusual symptoms have been reported following infection with variant B.1.1.529 and, as with other variants – says the Institute – some individuals are asymptomatic”.
The reconstruction of the South African center
The institute tries to put in order the elements known so far on the variants No.. “On November 22, 2021, we detected a group of related SARS-CoV-2 viruses in South Africa called strain B.1.1.529. This strain B.1.1.529 was detected in Gauteng with a relatively high frequency, with more than 70 % of genomes sequenced (71) from samples collected between 14 and 23 November 2021 “. At the beginning of the week, the South African health authorities and the World Health Organization were made aware of the presence of the new variant. This new strain has a large number of mutations, some observed in other variants, some new. “At present, the B.1.1.529 lineage is relatively distinct from the C.1.2, Beta and Delta variants and has a different evolutionary path,” it reads.
Pfizer reassures
The Pfizer he is studying the new variant and expects to have the first results “within two weeks at the latest”, says a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical group. Pfizer’s ally German laboratory BioNTech expects to have the results of its study “within two weeks at the latest” to determine whether the detected new variant is capable of escaping vaccine protection. “We immediately started studies on variant B.1.1.529,” which “clearly differs from variants already known because it has additional mutations on the spike protein” characteristic of the virus, the company spokeswoman told AFP. “Pfizer and BioNTech prepared several months ago for update their vaccine in less than six weeks“and then be ready to deliver “the first doses in 100 days” should a variant prove resistant.
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