The strains of coronavirus first detected in California are officially; worrying variants’, says the CDC

The strains of coronavirus first detected in California are officially; worrying variants’, says the CDC

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The variants may be about 20% more transmissible, said the CDC, citing previous research. Some treatments with Covid-19 may also be less effective against strains. Still, the CDC did not say that vaccines would stop working against them.

In laboratory studies, antibodies from vaccinated people appear to be less effective in neutralizing strains. But lower levels of antibodies may still be sufficient to protect against Covid-19, especially in severe cases. Certain immune cells can also help protect against disease – not just antibodies.

No variant of the coronavirus currently reaches the highest threat level of the United States government, “a variant of great consequence”. The strains of coronavirus that have been shown to reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine fall into this category.

Concerns about antibody treatment

Still, health officials are concerned that some treatments may not work as well against the variants, which are officially called B.1.427 and B.1.429. Scientists have been monitoring strains closely in California for the past few months.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services recently suspended shipments of treatment with Covid-19 antibodies to California, Nevada and Arizona, where variants are circulating widely.

The agency cited concerns that the treatment, carried out by Eli Lilly and Company and called bamlanivimab, may be less effective against strains.

Authorities said another therapy with Covid-19 by Eli Lilly, a combination of bamlanivimab and another drug, etesevimab, could still be ordered. The first results show that the combination of drugs can significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death. A different antibody treatment by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was also unaffected by the action of HHS.

Both therapies are “cocktails” that combine two different antibodies made in the laboratory. This is believed to make them more resistant to emerging strains of the coronavirus. If a mutation allows the virus to avoid one antibody, it may still be susceptible to the other.

Eli Lilly said on Tuesday that it is continuously monitoring the Covid-19 environment for variants and testing its therapies against a “wide range of mutations and emerging variants”.

“It has always been our view that additional antibodies from Lilly and others will need to be developed to deal with the evolution of the virus, including emerging variants that may differ by country or even by state,” said Eli Lilly in an emailed statement. to CNN on Tuesday.

“In fact, this is what boosted our joint work with bamlanivimab and etesevimab and continues to underpin our strategy for advancement.”

CNN’s Jen Christensen contributed to this report.

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