14
kilkennyobserver.ie
The Kilkenny Observer Friday 27 August 2021
News
Delta not as good as other variants resisting antibodies, study shows THE delta variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 is not particularly good at evading the antibodies that vaccination generates, according to a new study. The researchers analyzed a panel of antibodies generated by people in response to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine and found that delta was unable to evade all but one of the antibodies they tested. Other variants of concern, such as beta, avoided recognition and neutralization by several of the antibodies. The findings in the latest edition of the journal Immunity help explain why vaccinated people have largely escaped the worst of the delta surge. In previous studies, co-senior author Ali Ellebedy, an associate professor of pathology and immunology, of medicine, and of molecular microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri had shown that both natural infection and vaccination elicit lasting antibody production. But the length of the anti-
body response is only one aspect of protection. The breadth matters, too. An ideal antibody response includes a diverse set of antibodies with the flexibility to recognise many slightly different variants of the virus. Breadth confers resilience. Even if a few antibodies lose the ability to recognise a new variant, other antibodies in the arsenal should remain capable of neutralising it. “The fact that delta has outcompeted other variants does not mean that it’s more resistant to our antibodies compared to other variants,” says co-senior author Jacco Boon, an associate professor of medicine, of molecular microbiology, and of pathology and immunology. “The ability of a variant to spread is the sum of many factors. Resistance to antibodies is just one factor. Another one is how well the variant replicates. A variant that replicates better is likely to spread faster, independent of its ability to evade our immune response. So delta is surging, yes, but there’s no evidence that it is better at overcoming vaccine-induced immunity compared to other variants.” To assess the breadth of the antibody response to SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, Ellebedy and colleagues
— including authors Aaron Schmitz, a research specialist; Jackson S. Turner, an instructor in pathology & immunology; and Zhuoming Liu, a staff scientist — extracted antibodyproducing cells from three people who had received the Pfizer vaccine. They grew the cells in the laboratory and obtained from them a set of 13 antibodies that target the original strain that began circulating last year.
The researchers tested the antibodies against four variants of concern: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Twelve of the 13 recognised alpha and delta, eight recognised all four variants, and one failed to recognise any of the four variants. Scientists gauge an antibody’s usefulness by its ability to block virus from infecting and killing cells in a dish. So-called neutralising antibodies that pre-
Yet more good news on jabs and antibodies IN a new video on his YouTube channel, world pulmonary medicine and critical care specialist Mike Hansen explains all of the different factors which affect how vulnerable an individual might be against the Delta variant of Covid-19. Dr Hansen (pictured) begins by stating that if you have not had the vaccine and have not previously had Covid, then you currently have zero protection, and that your odds of contracting the Delta variant are looking “bleaker and bleaker, depending on what underlying risk factors you may have”. However, if you have not yet
been vaccinated but did previously have Covid, then it is possible that you will have some level of protection against the virus for about a year. There have also been studies which have found that for those who’ve had Covid-19, mRNA vaccination boosts the memory
antibodies that develop after infection, causing there to be a more robust immune response. “This is called hybrid immunity,” Dr Hansen explains. “Part of the immunity comes from the immune system from previous Covid infection, and the other from the vaccine.” Additionally, there is strong evidence that recovered patients who have received a single dose of the AstraZeneca, PQzer, or Moderna vaccines had a huge increase in protective antibodies against the Delta, Beta, and Alpha variants. “The big takeaway here is that vaccinating people who had previ-
ous COVID will likely give them much higher protection against delta and other variants,” says Dr Hansen. As for people who have been vaccinated but have not previously had Covid infection, they have been found to have high levels of neutralising antibodies against the Delta variant 8 to 16 weeks after receiving the second dose. Dr Hansen also cites a study (yet to be peer reviewed) which determined the PQzer vaccine’s effectiveness against Delta as being around 84 percent, making a booster shot a sensible precaution.
Croke Park melee ‘indefensible’ LARGE gatherings of crowds before and after the All-Ireland hurling final were “indefensible,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said. Crowds of people socialising on the streets around Croke Park, with little social distancing and few people wearing face masks, “wasn’t how it was supposed to work,” he said.
Some 40,000 spectators were permitted into Croke Park for the game on Sunday, where Limerick beat Cork 3-32 to 1-22. Large crowds gathered to socialise and drink along the streets near the stadium before and after the game, with videos circulated widely on social media showing a lack of social distancing and few people wearing masks.
Gardai have said it is investigating alleged breaches of Covid-19 regulations at one licensed premises in the area near the stadium. Gardaí also instructed several pubs to temporarily close on match day, due to the large crowds. The scenes were heavily criticised by arts and live entertain-
ment industry groups, who said they highlighted how current strict limits on numbers at music and other live cultural events were unfair. A decision from the Government on the latter issue is expected in the next few days. But the thinking is that current restrictions will stay much the same for at least six weeks.
vent infection are thought to be more powerful than antibodies that recognise the virus but can’t block infection, although both neutralising and non-neutralising antibodies contribute to defending the body. The researchers found that five of the 13 antibodies neutralized the original strain. When they tested the neutralizing antibodies against the new variants, all five antibodies neu-
tralized delta, three neutralized alpha and delta, and only one neutralized all four variants. “In face of vaccination, delta is relatively a wimpy virus,” Ellebedy says. “If we had a variant that was more resistant like beta but spread as easily as delta, we’d be in more trouble.” The antibody that neutralized all four variants of concern—as well as three additional variants tested separately—was called 2C08. In animal experiments, 2C08 also protected hamsters from disease caused by every variant tested: the original variant, delta, and a mimic of beta. Some people may have antibodies just as powerful as 2C08 protecting them against SARS-CoV-2 and its many variants, Ellebedy says. Using publicly available databases, the researchers discovered that about 20% of people infected or vaccinated against SARSCoV-2 create antibodies that recognize the same spot on the virus that is targeted by 2C08. Moreover, very few virus variants (.008%) carry mutations that allow them to escape antibodies targeting that spot. “This antibody is not unique to the person we got it from,” Ellebedy says. “Multiple antibodies targeting this area have been described in the literature; at least one is under development as a COVID-19 therapy.”
PUP cuts ‘must be halted now’ TD Kathleen Funchion has demanded that the Government immediately halt iwhat she says are “incoherent and ill-timed plans’ to cut the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). The cuts are due to begin on September 7, despite some sectors still being closed due to public health advice. The Sinn Fein TDsaid: “The pandemic is not over. Some sectors, such as the live entertainment industry, remain closed due to public health advice. Despite this, the government is insisting on ploughing ahead with unfair cuts to the PUP in just over a fortnight. “The cuts to the PUP and the plan to transition people from the PUP to Jobseekers on September 7 must be scrapped. “These cuts are punishing people who cannot return to work and will hit young workers hardest, she said. “They are a slap in the face for those in the live music and entertainment sector who
again this week have failed to get any clarity from the Government about when they can reopen. “These cuts will see many workers currently on the PUP rate of €203 being moved to Jobseeker payments. This will affect up to 29,000 people over the coming weeks. These workers are not jobseekers, they are merely being prevented from returning to their jobs due to public health restrictions. “Young people suffering the brunt of the government’s failure on housing and rents will be worst hit by this move with those under the age of 25 on the lowest rate of the PUP being transitioned to the reduced Jobseekers rate of €112.70 a week from 14th September 14,” the TD said. “Young people living at home will be particularly impacted. “The Government cannot continue with these unfair and short-sighted cuts which will plunge thousands of workers into financial uncertainty,” she said.
