Thread by @DrEricDing

📍Bad warnings from South Africa’s CDC—#B1351 spike protein completely escapes 3 classes of therapeutic antibodies. It also exhibits “substantial to complete escape” from neutralization by convalescent plasma. It bodes Reinfection & lower vaccine efficacy.
nature.com/articles/s4159…

2) The @nicd_sa authors conclude: “These data also have implications for the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, largely based on immune responses to original spike protein.”

3) “Indeed, sera from the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinees show significantly reduced neutralization of 501Y.V2” (#B1351)
biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

4) “Furthermore, compared to global efficacy estimates, vaccine efficacy in South Africa (overlapping with the emergence of 501Y.V2) has been significantly reduced for several vaccines. Conversely, these same trials seem to retain efficacy against severe COVID-19.”

5) “these data highlight the urgent requirement for rapidly adaptable vaccine design platforms and the need to identify less-mutable viral targets for incorporation into future immunogens.”

6) Last month, this data made 🇿🇦 CDC declare its concern over very likely reinfection risk for #B1351

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1351686170044989442

7) That said, the Novavax vaccine did work against it, albeit around 50% in South Africa, though 60% efficacy among those HIV negative.

Also, there was strong evidence of reinfection with #B1351 among placebo group - previous infection no protection for #B1351.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1358065355785134083

8) And good news is that the J&J vaccine also worked against it— and had 82% efficacy in South Africa against severe #COVID19.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1366619383997607941

9) here is the 60% overall efficacy of Novavax in South Africa 🇿🇦.

This shows that protection via vaccines are >>>> than natural infection!!

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1358065392715972608