People infected kent coronavirus variant likely symptoms ons report reveals

One person in seven has antibodies against COVID-19, with the vaccine starting to add to the population's immunity, according to new research. Blood tests on more than 154,000 people across England showed that between 26 January and 8 February, just past the peak of the second wave, 13.9% of the population had antibodies for the coronavirus . Researchers at Imperial College London, who have monitored COVID-19 antibody levels in the population over several months, captured for the first time the impact of vaccination. Over 17,000 of those randomly asked to take part had received at least one dose of vaccine . Results from The REACT study show 88% of people over the age of 80 tested positive for antibodies after two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, rising to 96% of those under the age of 60 and 100% in those aged under 30. Advertisement Older people take longer to develop an immune response, and it tends to be weaker than the young. … [Read more...] about COVID-19: One in seven people now have coronavirus antibodies as vaccine rollout continues

A NEW Covid-19 variant is "spreading rapidly" in New York City and could beat vaccines, researchers warn. The new variant, called B.1.526, is spreading rapidly in the Big Apple and researchers fear it may carry a mutation that may weaken the effectiveness of vaccines. The new variant first appeared in samples collected in November 2020, and by February it accounted for about one in four viral sequences appearing in a database shared by scientists. One study, which was posted on Tuesday, was published by a group at Caltech , the other by researchers at Columbia University, which is not public yet. Researchers at Caltech discovered the rise of the B.1.526 variant by scanning for mutations in thousands of viral genetic sequences in a database called GISAID. However, neither study has been published in a scientific journal, but the results suggest that the variant's spread is real, experts said. “There was a pattern that was recurring, and a group of isolates … [Read more...] about New Covid variant ‘spreading rapidly’ in New York City and could BEAT vaccines, researchers warn

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine effectively prevents severe coronavirus cases , the United States' top drug regulator said on Wednesday. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement paves the way for an emergency use authorization for the single-shot vaccine, which an independent committee is set to discuss. "The vaccine was effective in preventing COVID-19 using a less restrictive definition of the disease and for more severe disease, including COVID-19 requiring medical intervention, considering all cases starting 14 days after vaccination," the FDA document said. J&J said last month that its vaccine was 66% effective in preventing COVID-19 moderate to severe infections, including the variants detected in South Africa and Brazil. The one-shot jab could become the third vaccine the FDA approves as the US battles the pandemic that killed more than 500,000 of its residents. Watch video 03:18 COVID-19 death toll: What did the US get so wrong? … [Read more...] about Coronavirus digest: J&J vaccine prevents COVID – US regulator

F ollowing evidence that the Oxford vaccine appears to offer only limited protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant of Covid-19, vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, urged the public to remain confident in the vaccine . Mr Zahawi described the emergence of new variants of Covid as “worrying”, but said in an article for the Telegraph that: “We should bear in mind that recent studies show the vaccines being deployed right now across the UK appear to work well against the Covid-19 variants currently dominant in the UK.” Meanwhile, ministers are said to be discussing plans to vaccinate millions of under-50s at work in order to accelerate the national vaccine rollout from spring onwards. Your questions on what the new variant could mean for vaccines were answered by our science editor, Sarah Knapton, at noon on Feb 10 during a live Q&A. You can find a recap of Wednesday's Q&A below. If you've been vaccinated and get Covid symptoms do you still … [Read more...] about Coronavirus vaccine Q&A: Your questions on new variants and jabs at work answered

A rapid coronavirus test is being developed which can quickly detect which variant a patient is carrying to help in the fight against mutations. The new method, which involves a minor update to current PCR tests, is being put through clinical trials by experts at biotechnology firm Novozymes in Denmark. The modified protocol can decipher whether a person has the strain which first arose in Kent before spreading across the UK. And can also detect the South African and Brazilian mutations, the developers have said. Stephanie Oerum, research scientist at Novozymes, said: "We have written a new protocol for the current PCR screening that only requires one additional component and are now testing this in a clinical set-up on patient material. "We are working as fast as we can. It's a challenge, but a good one. It's about helping people and stopping the new variants from spreading." She said the company was contacted by a leading professor in virology and immunology at the … [Read more...] about New rapid coronavirus test can quickly reveal which variant a patient has