Virus variants are found to be more deadly, more contagious; some can frustrate vaccines

(Reuters) – The following is a summary of some of the latest scientific studies on the new coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines against COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Multiple variants can “escape” vaccines

An old study suggests that antibodies induced by the Modern Inc and Pfizer Inc / BioNTech SE vaccines are dramatically less effective in neutralizing some of the most troubling coronavirus variants. The researchers obtained blood samples from 99 individuals who had received one or two doses of any vaccine and tested their vaccine-induced antibodies against virus replicas designed to mimic 10 global circulation variants. Five of the 10 variants were “highly resistant to neutralization,” even when volunteers had received both doses of the vaccines, researchers told Cell on Friday. The five highly resistant variants presented mutations at the surface tip of the virus (known as K417N / T, E484K, and N501Y) that characterize a rampant variant in South Africa and two variants that spread rapidly in Brazil. According to previous studies, the proportion of neutralizing antibodies was reduced 5 to 6 times against variants discovered in Brazil. Against the variant discovered in South Africa, neutralization fell 20 to 44 times. A variant now circulating in New York has the E484K mutation. “Although studies on the New York variant are ongoing, our findings suggest that similar variants containing E484K may be more difficult to neutralize by vaccine-induced antibodies,” the study leader said. Alejandro Balazs, of Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital. “Despite our results,” he added, “it is important to consider that vaccines generate other types of immune responses that could protect against the development of serious diseases.” (bit.ly/3bWB1Ko)

The variant identified in the UK is more deadly

The coronavirus variant first identified in the UK, known as B.1.1.7, is more deadly than other circulating variants, according to a new study. The researchers analyzed data on 184,786 people in England diagnosed with COVID-19 between mid-November and mid-January, including 867 deaths. For every three people who died four weeks after being infected with another variant, about five died after becoming infected with B.1.1.7, according to a document published in medRxiv before the peer review. Overall, the risk of death with B.1.1.7 was 67% higher than the risk with other variants in England, according to the authors. As with the previous variants, the risk of death of patients increased with age, gender, and pre-existing medical conditions. B.1.1.7 is now common throughout Europe and is expected to prevail in the United States. “Crucially,” the researchers wrote, “emerging data suggest that currently approved SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are effective against B.1.1.7.” (bit.ly/3r2vpCE)

The variant identified in Brazil is doubly infectious

Between November and January, in Manaus, Brazil, the frequency of COVID-19 cases related to the P.1 coronavirus variant went from non-existent to 73% and the number of infections there quadrupled compared to the which the city experienced in the first wave of the pandemic, according to a report published in medRxiv before the peer review. The report suggests that the higher infectivity of variant P.1 probably contributed to this. Based on national health surveillance data, the authors estimate that variant P.1 is approximately 2.5 times more transmissible than previous variants circulating in Manaus. The researchers noted that the spread of P.1 occurred despite the fact that 68% of the city’s population had already been infected by the original strain of the coronavirus. In their analysis, the risk of reinfection with P.1 was low. The ability of the variant to cause serious disease or its pathogenicity is not yet clear. “The P.1 variant has already been detected in at least 25 countries,” the authors said. “This requires urgent studies … of the P.1 variant, as increased transmissibility and pathogenicity can lead to the collapse of even well-prepared health systems.” (bit.ly/38MGykw)

To prevent infection, the new CPR technique adds distance

To prevent coronavirus infection during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), medical professionals can increase the patient’s distance by doing chest compressions using the heel of the foot (known as leg-heel compression) instead of the hands, a new study suggests. . The researchers had 20 medical professionals perform standard manual chest compression followed by leg heel chest compression after brief instruction on a mannequin. There were no differences in any of the measured variables, including the correct placement of the heel for compression purposes, the correct chest compression depth, and the compression speed. The study found that the potential spread of breath drops from the patient to the person performing CPR would likely be minimized with compression of the heel of the legs. “In special circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, chest compression at the heel of the legs can be an effective alternative … compared to manual chest compression, while significantly increasing the distance to the patient,” the researchers concluded. in a paper published Monday in medRiv before the peer review. (bit.ly/3ltWgX4)

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