The mutated variant E484K of the British corona mutation B.1.1.7 is spreading in Tyrol - directly on the border with Bavaria.
There is evidence that this could be resistant to the coronavirus vaccines.
Innsbruck - scaremongering is the wrong approach.
One hears and reads more often in the coronavirus pandemic in Germany.
In the “greatest crisis since the Second World War” (Angela Merkel) it is not always so easy to remain objective.
Helge Braun (CDU), Minister of the Chancellery and confidante of the same Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), was rather very direct when he
warned
citizens of
an impending super mutant
in an interview with
Bild am Sonntag
.
Corona mutation E484K is spreading in Tyrol - right on the border with Bavaria and Germany
“The next few weeks will decide whether we can foreseeably get the pandemic under control.
If the number of infections rises rapidly parallel to the vaccination, there is a greater risk that the next virus mutation will become immune to the vaccine, "said Braun, using words that are good for scare-mongering:" Then we would be back empty-handed.
Then we would need new vaccines, then we would have to start vaccinating all over again. "
To put it into perspective: Braun has his workplace in Berlin.
Almost 700 kilometers to the south around the small town of Kufstein in North Tyrol, a very dangerous variant of the already insidious corona virus was already spreading.
At least two Austrian virologists report on this.
Dangerous not only because of findings about a possibly higher mortality, but especially because there are indications that the virus mutant could be partly resistant to vaccines such as Astrazeneca that have been approved up to now.
Corona form E484K: Mutated variant of the British coronavirus mutation B.1.1.7
We are talking about the corona form E484K, the mutated mutant of the so-called British corona mutation B.1.1.7.
"This virus is no longer recognized so well by the antibodies that we form after the vaccination," said the virologist Dorothee von Laer from the Medical University of Innsbruck in the ORF discussion program "In the center".
In Austria, the coronavirus form is now also known as virus mutation B.1.1.7-E484K.
Von Laer therefore demanded follow-up vaccinations with modified corona vaccines in the ORF broadcasts.
Meanwhile, the scientist from Hamburg is not alone with her warnings.
"The original variant B.1.1.7 is more infectious and leads to serious disease courses, but the vaccination protects well," wrote the virologist Andreas Bergthaler from the Medical University of Vienna on Twitter.
Corona Mutation E484K: Resistant to Coronavirus Vaccines?
E484K, on the other hand, facilitates the so-called antibody escape and "may therefore reduce the effect of vaccines," the virologist continued.
Not only that: to the best of his knowledge, the E484K mutant has already established itself in parts of Tyrol, i.e. exactly on the border with Bavaria.
As the
Tyrolean daily
writes, the said Corona variant was reported in particular in North Tyrol in the Kufstein district.
So exactly on the A93 motorway in the direction of Rosenheim and Munich.
Why could B.1.1.7 + E484K be a problem?
The original variant B.1.1.7 is more infectious & leads to severe disease processes, but vaccination protects well.
E484K facilitates “antibody escape” and therefore may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.
4/10
- Andreas Bergthaler (@abergthaler) March 28, 2021
According to Bergthaler, SARS-CoV-2 partial genome sequencing has confirmed "that there are> 100 cases in Tyrol with a modified UK variant B.1.1.7 plus this mutation E484K".
The Viennese scientist explains on Twitter that, to his knowledge, Biontech vaccinations for the mutant B.1.1.7 + E484K have six to ten times "lower antibody neutralization titers".
This confirmed "the assumption that existing vaccinations could not protect against B.1.1.7 + E484K as well".
Corona: super mutant in Germany?
Biontech founder Ugur Sahin gives the all-clear
So would that be a super mutant?
The all-clear came from Germany in the past few days.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Medicines Agency are working on a blueprint study for adapted vaccines, Biontech boss Uğur Şahin explained to the
picture
:
“If it is successful, if a super mutant appears, we can also use the vaccine without it adapt clinical study within six weeks.
This study will probably take four to five months. "
(Pm)
List of rubric lists: © Christian Ohde via www.imago-images.de
