South African Coronavirus Variant May Dodge Existing Immunity in Some People - Gizmodo

Recent data announced over the weekend suggests a variant first found in South Africa can escape detection from antibodies in some people who had been infected with older versions of the virus.

In mid-December, scientists in both the UK and South Africa announced the emergence of new strains of the coronavirus that contained worrying genetic variations.

Viruses mutate all the time, but what’s made B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and other similar variants so worrying to scientists is their collection of multiple mutations connected to the spike protein, a key part of the virus that helps it break into cells to make more of itself.

This might mean that B.1.351 and similar variants can cause reinfections, but those reinfections might on average be milder than the first time.

For people already vaccinated against the coronavirus, this data suggests that B.1.351 might be able to cause sickness more often than earlier variants could.

Not all variants are the same, and the effects they have on immunity and transmission will depend heavily on how widespread a variant becomes in the community.

All that said, the new data from South Africa is indeed troubling.

The UK and South African variants are already spreading in several countries, and experts fear they will soon become prevalent in these places.