Epsilon variant: do vaccines work against it? Is it dangerous?

The epsilon variant of the new coronavirus could be resistant to COVID-19 vaccines, creating another serious concern for those who are not vaccinated and vaccinated.

Can the epsilon variant escape the vaccine?

Researchers recently suggested that the epsilon variant – which was originally discovered in California and is now spreading in Pakistan – “is resistant to all available vaccines,” according to India.com, which reported the variant’s spread. in Pakistan.

This is based on research from a University of Washington study, which found that the variant is 20% more transmissible compared to previous COVID-19 strains.

• The study found that the epsilon variant “is believed to be almost as highly transmissible as the delta variant, which raged during the second wave of the pandemic in India,” according to India.com.

In addition, the variant has mutations that “give this variant of the coronavirus of concern a means of totally escaping the specific monoclonal antibodies used in clinics and reduce the effectiveness of the antibodies in the plasma of those vaccinated,” according to the study by the University of Washington, which was published in the latest edition of Science.

• The researchers created a visualization of the variant’s injection system to see how it would infect people over time.
• “One of three mutations in the epsilon variant affected the receptor binding domain on the spike glycoprotein. This mutation reduced the neutralizing activity of 14 of 34 neutralizing antibodies specific to this area, including antibodies at the clinical stage, ”according to the study.

Should we be concerned about epsilon?

The epsilon variant is currently a “variant of concern” due to an increase in cases in California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And the lambda variant?

Earlier this week, a study published online via bioRxiv but which was not peer reviewed found that the lambda variant has three mutations that make it resistant to the antibodies created by the vaccine, as I wrote for the Deseret News.