New variants of coronavirus are emerging that are more infectious than the ones that started the pandemic. More than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic, public health authorities are facing an emerging threat: new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 

A diverse immune response to new COVID-19

Our bodies generate a broad spectrum of antibodies in response to a given vaccine or natural infection. In the case of COVID-19, these antibodies target multiple parts of SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein, not just a single region that could change in a mutated variant of the virus. In principle, this diversity of antibodies makes it harder for a viral mutation to render a vaccine ineffective. The transition between innate and adaptive immune responses is critical for the clinical progress of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is at this crucial moment when immune regulatory events, still poorly understood, will lead to the development of either a protective immune response or an exacerbated inflammatory response.

Something we know about the new covid-19 variant:-

In January 2021, experts in the UK reported that this variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other virus variants, but further studies are needed to confirm this finding. Since then, it has been detected in many countries around the world. This variant was first detected in the US in late December 2020. The rapid spread of a new variant of the coronavirus has been blamed for the introduction of strict level four mixing rules for millions of people, tighter restrictions on mixing at Christmas in England, Scotland, and Wales, and other countries that impose a travel ban in the UK.

Will vaccines still work?

Current vaccines were designed around earlier versions of coronavirus, but scientists believe they should still work against the new ones, although perhaps not quite as well.

Early results suggest the Pfizer vaccine protects against the new variants but is slightly less effective. Data on two new coronavirus vaccines that could be approved soon – one from Novavax and another from Janssen – appear to offer some protection too.