Thread by @MonicaGandhi9

Pfizer study shows vaccine should work against this B.1.1.7 UK and South Africa variant of SARS-CoV-2. mRNA sequence in Pfizer vaccine likely propietary but Pfizer took a virus with the N501Y mutation and tested it in plasma of 20 vaccine recipients
apnews.com/article/intern…

The blood from these 20 people who got the vaccine were able to "neutralize" (kill, basically) the virus which means vaccine should work against this mutation. Now, the S. Africa strain has other mutations so more need to be tested but it is a good study! Also, if a variant does

arise that the vaccine may not work against, the mRNA technology can apparently easily be "tweaked" to help a modified vaccine work against a new variant. To explain this a bit more, you know how we need an influenza shot every year? This is because influenza A has two proteins

on their surface called hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). There are many different subtypes of "H" and "N", all numbered (like H1N1) and there are even subtypes (clades/sub-clades) of those proteins so WHO has to figure out each year which influenza strains are most in

circulation each year and make a vaccine that has the predominant subtypes circulating. SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19) doesn't have these two proteins on surface but it does have have a spike protein (makes it look like a crown-Latin "corona") and mutations that arise have a

letter, then number, then another letter. First letter is abbreviation for original amino acid in the spike protein (in this case, Asparagine=N), number is position of amino acid and the last letter is amino acid that was substituted because of mutation (Tyrosine=Y in this case)

So, mutations are happening but as long as the mRNA that is in the vaccine triggers a response that neutralizes the variants, all ok- this study reassuring although more mutations need study. But final point is that vaccine maker can optimize vaccines over time easily if need be.

So please don't worry despite all the news of these variants and also the variants are not "radioactive", even if they bind more tightly to the receptor and give a higher viral load in the nose/mouth which make them more transmissable. They are not more deadly (viral inoculum is

what you get IN; viral load is what you PRODUCE or give out) and I think viral inoculum/dose is partially responsible for virulence) and they are not RADIOACTIVE! They can be mitigated by same procedures (masks, distancing, ventilation) we use for other variants.