Which SARS-CoV-2 mutations can potentially evade antibody recognition?
To date, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to 191 countries and infected more than 95.62 million people. Of these, more than 2 million people have lost their lives. The United States remains the nation with the highest number of cases, reaching 24 million, while India and Brazil follow, with over 10.58 million and 8.51 million cases, respectively.
New strains of the virus have begun to emerge with increased infectivity – including the VUI 202012/01 in Britain and 501.V2 in South Africa. This has led to concerns among public health authorities that mutant strains may evade neutralizing antibodies produced by convalescent individuals as well as the present vaccine candidates.
The mutation, called E484K, is also present in two of the worrisome new viral variants spreading around the globe those that originated in South Africa and Brazil.
Outwitting the foe: predicting evolved antibody escape in SARS-CoV-2
From the Bloom Lab (Basic Sciences Division) January 18, 2021 • By A Isabella
The Covid-19 pandemic has redefined normalcy in our lives. But humans are a resilient species, and we have, though not without much pain and heartache, admirably adjusted to this ‘new normal’ a mere year after the virus’s emergence on the world stage. Unfortunately, to compound the challenges, it seems that every time we get our feet beneath us, the pandemic presents a new challenge to throw us back into uncertainty. A second wave. Airborne spread. A third wave. A vaccine. And now: B.1.1.7.; 501.V2; B.1.1.248. This cryptic code represents the latest frightening development in the pandemic – from the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, reports of new and worrying mutant variants of the virus. So far, these variants appear to primarily affect virus transmissibility. But at a time when we are finally a