Researchers do not rule out the emergence of vaccine-resistant Corona mutants in Germany

Researchers do not rule out the emergence of Corona mutants in Germany that are resistant to vaccines or the current vaccines are less efficient in warding them off.

Researchers Stefan Pullman and Markus Hofmann of the Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in the German city of Göttingen said that this could happen, especially in light of the virus now spreading strongly in the third wave.

According to the data, so-called "escape variants" could arise if the virus spreads in a population with incomplete immunity protection, which occurs for example when immunity slowly decreases after recovering from infection or after vaccination.

Pullman and Hoffman explained that in a society with a certain degree of immunity, the escape variants would be superior to the original virus in spreading the infection, as the variant in such a scenario would become dominant relatively quickly, similar to the Brazilian P.1 mutant.

The two scientists said: "If there is no immunity among the population, as is currently the case in Germany, then the escape variables in the event that they emerge will be in direct competition with the prevailing virus variants, which on their part still find enough receptors for infection," explaining that Escape variants will then prevail on a large scale if they are also easier to navigate.

Experts at the German Primate Center, in cooperation with experts from the University Hospital in Ulm, discovered that the antibody used to treat Covid-19 was completely ineffective in Corona variants B.1.351 (South Africa) and P.1.

So the two have been categorized as escape variants.

However, it can be assumed that the available vaccines would still be inhibitory to B.1.351 and P.1.

The two scholars said, "However, the protection expected from vaccination may be reduced and its duration will be shorter," explaining that it is extremely important to achieve widespread immunity quickly among the population through vaccination, thus depriving the variants of the receptors that need them to spread.

In order to improve protection against variants such as B.1.351 and P.1, existing vaccines can be adapted.

Pullman and Hoffman said, "This procedure will be similar to the vaccination strategy with which we protect ourselves from influenza viruses."

The researchers stated that the emergence of resistant variants to the currently available vaccines is an "extreme scenario, but it cannot be excluded," explaining that in order to reduce the likelihood of escape variables emerging, the spread of the virus must be effectively contained - for example by complying with the rules of protection from the spread of infection and vaccination Widely.

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