About half of those who have had coronavirus are at risk of re-infection with the South African strain, as it enters the body bypassing the immune system. This was warned by South African scientists, whose research was published on the medRxiv preprint portal.
Scientists noted that a mutation in a specific part of the spike protein makes the strain able to avoid antibodies. The study found that 48 percent of blood samples from people who had undergone the coronavirus showed no immune response to the new mutation.
Professor Penny Moore, head of the study, said that the immune response to new strains depends on the amount of antibodies in the body. The higher their level, the less the risk of getting sick again, however, as a rule, strong immunity is formed in patients who have had a severe illness.
At the same time, many virologists fear the effect of vaccines: according to them, if the particles of a new strain of the virus are not sensitive to existing and developed drugs, then after some time people will have to be vaccinated again.
Earlier, the virologist of the Gamaleya Center, Viktor Zuev, explained that the South African COVID-19 mutation is no more dangerous than the usual strain. However, it is more contagious, which means that an infected person can transmit the infection to more people.