Mutations

New Varient in Brazil causes concern, infected previous COVID-19 victims

Tue, 2021-03-02 10:03 — mike kraft

In just a matter of weeks, two variants of the coronavirus have become so familiar that you can hear their inscrutable alphanumeric names regularly uttered on television news.

B.1.1.7, first identified in Britain, has demonstrated the power to spread far and fast. In South Africa, a mutant called B.1.351 can dodge human antibodies, blunting the effectiveness of some vaccines.

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Russians say its Sputnik V vaccines performs well against COVID mutations

Sat, 2021-02-27 14:04 — mike kraft

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian trial testing the effectiveness of revaccination with the Sputnik V shot to protect against new mutations of the coronavirus is producing strong results, researchers said on Saturday.

Last month President Vladimir Putin ordered a review by March 15 of Russian-produced vaccines for their effectiveness against new variants spreading in different parts of the world.

“(A) recent study carried out by the Gamaleya Centre in Russia showed that revaccination with Sputnik V vaccine is working very well against new coronavirus mutations, including the UK and South African strains of coronavirus,” said Denis Logunov, a deputy director of the centre, which developed the Sputnik V shot.

Results of the trial are expected to be published soon, but this was the first indication of how the tests are going. No further details were available yet.

So-called viral vector shots - such as Sputnik V and a shot developed by AstraZeneca - use harmless modified viruses as vehicles, or vectors, to carry genetic information that helps the body build immunity against future infections. ...

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ANALYSIS: There is a chance to stop the coronavirus from making a big comeback after recent decline

Fri, 2021-02-26 13:39 — mike kraft

Across the United States, and the world, the coronavirus seems to be loosening its stranglehold. The deadly curve of cases, hospitalizations and deaths has yo-yoed before, but never has it plunged so steeply and so fast.

Is this it, then? Is this the beginning of the end? After a year of being pummeled by grim statistics and scolded for wanting human contact, many Americans feel a long-promised deliverance is at hand.

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Pfizer to study using booster shot aimed at virus variant

Thu, 2021-02-25 11:32 — mike kraft

Pfizer to study booster shot aimed at virus variant Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said Thursday they are beginning a stu Peter Sullivan TheHill

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said Thursday they are beginning a study to test whether a third shot of their COVID-19 vaccine will help protect against variants of the virus.

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New coronavirus variant found in New York City

Thu, 2021-02-25 09:17 — mike kraft

Researchers find worrying new coronavirus variant in New York City Two separate teams of researchers have found a worrying new coronavirus variant in New York City that carries mutations that help it evade the body's natural immune response -- as well as the effects of monoclonal antibody treatments. Maggie Fox, CNN CNN

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Variant-fuels Covid-19 surge could come in weeks, but cases may decrease by summer - CNN

Wed, 2021-02-24 09:40 — mike kraft

Experts worry variant-fueled surge of Covid-19 could be weeks away but cases will likely fall again by summer Coronavirus infections across the US are still on the way down, and more Americans are getting vaccinated -- but variants could cause complications soon. Christina Maxouris, CNN CNN

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New coronavirus mutant found in California is more contagious

Wed, 2021-02-24 09:23 — mike kraft

What we know about California COVID variant B.1.427/ B.1.429 Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, say it should be listed as a "variant of concern." Newsweek

A new coronavirus variant that was first identified in California is now taking hold in some parts of the state—but what do we currently know about it?

The variant actually comes in two forms, known as B.1.427 and B.1.429, both of which carry a similar, albeit slightly differing, set of genetic mutations—including three that affect the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

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WHO panel to recommend 'deeper' study in China of early Covid-19 clues

Sun, 2021-02-21 15:26 — mike kraft

CNN Exclusive: WHO panel to recommend 'deeper' study of early Covid-19 clues The World Health Organization's preliminary report into the origins of the novel coronavirus will recommend more extensive contact tracing of the first known patient with Covid-19 in Wuhan, China, as well as the supply chain of nearly a dozen traders in the Huanan seafood market, which is thought to have played a role in the early spread of Covid-19 in late 2019, according to investigators familiar with the draft report. Sandi Sidhu and Nick Paton Walsh, CNN CNN

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Coronavirus variants are like 'tidal waves' once they fully arrive

Sat, 2021-02-20 15:10 — mike kraft

Coronavirus variants are like 'tidal waves' once they fully arrive Although the U.S. finally reached an important milestone in the number of vaccinations surpassing the number of COVID-19 cases, the country is not out of the woods yet. YahooNews

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White House coronavirus adviser says vaccine companies plan to update shots to address variants

Thu, 2021-02-18 13:57 — mike kraft

White House coronavirus adviser official discusses plans by vaccine companies cope with COVID-19 variants

Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser on the coronavirus response, said vaccine-producing companies plan to update their shots to address variants of the virus.

During a Washington Post live interview Thursday, he said the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines “work well for” the most prominent variant spreading throughout the United States, which is the one first identified in Britain.

He said that while the vaccines appear less effective against the variants first identified in Brazil and South Africa, they do produce some antibodies.

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