Research is under way to determine whether the mutation-laden lineage BA.2.86 has the potential for global spread — or whether it is nothing to worry about.
  • HurlingDurling@lemm.eeEnglish
    52·
    1 year ago

    Even if BA.2.86 does becomes widespread — and proves adept at dodging neutralizing antibodies, which seems likely, on the basis of its set of spike mutations — other forms of immunity will probably stop most people from getting seriously ill if they are infected, Bloom adds.

    Ok, still something to keep an eye out, but it might not be that devastating as it once was back in 2019-2020

      • notacat@mander.xyz
        121·
        1 year ago

        T cells.

        “Most studies on COVID-19 vaccines have focused on neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses, with little emphasis on cellular immunity. However, accumulating data suggest that T cell responses play an important role in vaccine protection against severe COVID-19 disease, particularly against viral variants that partially escape from recognition by NAbs. These insights have implications for using current COVID-19 vaccines and for developing next-generation vaccines against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases”

        science

        • CurrentBias@open-source-eschaton.net
          9·
          1 year ago

          @notacat speaking of those – there is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 sticks around and causes chronic T cell activation, and there are only so many naive T cells the thymus can supply before it shrinks (it normally shrinks with age)

          This implies that all covid infections, even those that don’t produce obvious long covid at first, may be prematurely aging the immune system

          https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.27.23293177v1.full

        • possibly a cat@lemmy.ml
          8·
          1 year ago

          I’m aware that is one. However I find it a bit lackluster to offer such an explanation without explaining it. I know about T cells, but I’m a layperson, maybe he has other things in mind. Or maybe he knows of issues about T cells that I don’t. It just… needs further detail imo. Otherwise the reader’s confidence might as well rely on a simple appeal to authority.

          I appreciate you sharing the info and also that you sourced it! I was coming from a little different direction but it’s great to encourage science literacy.

  • Silverseren@kbin.social
    11·
    1 year ago

    Yeah, the Pirola variant has around 30 mutations as compared to other variants recently. The actual effect of these mutations is still being investigated, but what has been uncovered thus far doesn’t look good.