A new study suggests Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine protects against a mutation invariants that erupted in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
The research suggests that Pfizer coronavirus vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two contagious variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa.
Those variants are causing global concern. They both share a common mutation called N501Y, a slight alteration on one spot of the spike protein that coats the virus. That change is believed to be the reason they can spread so easily.
COVID Mutation
Viruses constantly undergo minor changes as they spread from person to person. Scientists have used these slight modifications to track how the coronavirus has moved around the globe since it was first detected in China about a year ago.
British scientists have said the variant found in the U.K. – which has become the dominant type in parts of England — still seemed to be susceptible to vaccines. That mutant has now been found in the U.S. and numerous other countries.
After registering the other day, I got my first #COVID jab today… and the only side effect so far has been a feeling of gratitude and optimism.
I’ll be chatting about how it all went on @thismorning tomorrow.
Thank you @GSTTnhs #NHS! 💙 pic.twitter.com/GkyeXBjP0o
— Ranj Singh (@DrRanj) January 7, 2021
The study is preliminary and has not yet been reviewed by experts, a key step for medical research but it is promising news, especially for the residents of Britain who fear the lockdown may be extended until the mutated version which is causing the second rise in COVID deaths is under control.
Most of the vaccines being rolled out around the world train the body to recognise the spike protein and fight it. The Pfizer teamed with researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for laboratory tests to see if the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine worked on the mutated version.
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