Scientists fear the 'escape mutant' in coronavirus variant from South Africa - not good

[womanofthehills]

(CNN)Scientists have identified an "escape mutant" that may decrease the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines.
The mutation -- called E484K -- has been found in a variant of the coronavirus first spotted in South Africa two months ago. That variant has now spread to 12 other countries.
Penny Moore, associate professor at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa, called the mutation "alarming."

We fear this mutation might have an impact, and what we don't know is the extent of the impact," she said.
E484K is called an "escape mutant" because it's been shown it might be able to escape some of the antibodies produced by the vaccine.
"I'm worried," said Alex Sigal, a virologist at the Africa Health Research Institute.
Sigal, Moore, and other scientists who are studying the E484K mutation still have to complete their work in the lab to see if the vaccine is less effective against this new variant.



https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/12/health/coronavirus-mutation-south-africa-variant/index.html

[FreeState]

1. Link is broken n/t

[womanofthehills]

2. I fixed link

[FreeState]

3. Thanks!

Hopefully the vaccine still offered protection - scary mutation regardless.