The general practitioner told about the danger of a new Andean strain of coronavirus. According to him, it will be more difficult for antibodies to block the new virus, which can significantly increase the risk of infection in unvaccinated and not yet ill people.
Japanese scientists have previously discovered new properties of the Andean strain of the coronavirus “lambda.” According to them, it is resistant to immunity and can evade the antibodies already developed by the body.
A new virus against old antibodies
The doctor warned that the coronavirus mutations are primarily associated with a change in its structure: when the structure of the thorn changes, the virus itself changes. It begins to attack the body differently.
Nevertheless, the antibodies do not adapt to the spikes but a certain receptor apparatus of the virus. Our antibodies are, in fact, universal; it is a large peptide conglomerate that connects the source of the threat. So we can say not that the new strain is completely resistant to immunity but that the antibodies will be less effective; they will not completely cover the virus and prevent it from attaching to the cell.
The doctor noted that if there is vaccination or antibodies to the disease, there will still be a certain immune response, but it may be insufficient. Recovery will be delayed for a longer period.
“Remember, when we first encountered the coronavirus, we did not have any antibodies at all. And only after some time we received them. The same thing is now, only in a more successful version for us: we already have antibodies that are familiar with the pathogen; they will need some time to rebuild,” the doctor reassured.
The specialist added that over time, people would increasingly encounter new strains of COVID-19. Moreover, this is not necessarily an altered COVID-19 – new variations may well result from mutations of other, wild forms of coronavirus.
There is no information yet about how the disease proceeds with a new strain; we have to find out. But, in any case, we are more or less ready for its appearance; in fact, the only question is whether the antibodies will be able to block the virus in a conditional 12 hours or 24. The real danger lies in the fact that one day it may not change the antigenic properties but the body of the virus itself. This will lead to a faster entry into the body and, accordingly, a worsening of the course of the disease.
