‘Double Mutant’ Covid Variant: Here’s What We Know As Israel Reports Vaccine Efficacy Against Variant First Detected In India
"Israeli health officials on Tuesday reported the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is at least partially effective against the potentially worrisome Indian variant of the coronavirus which has been rapidly spreading in India’s worst-hit Covid-19 hotspots and is being viewed as the likely culprit behind the country’s devastating second wave.
The B.1.617 or “double mutant” Indian variant carries two mutations including the L452R and E484Q which have been seen separately before in other variants but never together in one variant.
The L425R mutation which has been spotted in fast-spreading variants in California can reportedly increase the binding power of the virus’ spike proteins with human cells, making it more transmissible and can also potentially increase viral replication.
The E484Q is reportedly similar to the E484K mutation found in the U.K. and South African variants of the coronavirus which have shown to lower the effectiveness of antibodies generated by a vaccine or a previous bout of Covid-19.
Experts in India have expressed concern about the purported high transmissibility of double mutant variant as almost 60% of all positive cases in India’s Covid-19 epicenter, Maharashtra, have been caused by the B.1.617 variant.
The concerning variant has now also been detected in several countries including the U.K., U.S., Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and several others prompting travel bans and or advisories.
Israel on Tuesday registered eight cases caused by the Indian variant—mostly among people arriving from abroad—and reported that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine “has efficacy against it, albeit a reduced efficacy,” Reuters reported.
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Vaccinate the world or continue to keep dealing with new mutations.
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