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Mac n’ Chise 🧬🦠🧫

17 Mar, 9 tweets, 2 min read

Super excited to share this. New data from the New England Journal of Medicine shows Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine significantly reduces neutralizing activity against VOCs B.1.1.7, P.1, and B.1.351 and VOI B.1.427/B.1.429. The results are very encouraging!🧵
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

Researchers assayed the neutralizing activity against recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)–based SARS-CoV-2 (a pseudovirus-based model) in serum samples obtained from eight participants in our Phase 1 trial. The samples were obtained one week after participants had

received the second dose of mRNA-1273 vaccine. They then tested pseudoviruses bearing the spike proteins from the original Wuhan-Hu-1 isolate, the D614G variant, and the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, B.1.427/B.1.429, B.1.1.7+E484K, and other variants (20E [EU1], 20A.EU2, N439K-D614G,

and the mink cluster 5 variant that was first identified in Denmark). Researchers found the full panel of mutations in S and a subset of mutations affecting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) region of the B.1.1.7 variant had no significant effect on neutralization by serum

obtained from participants and observed a decrease in titers of neutralizing antibodies against the P.1 variant, the B.1.427/B.1.429 variant (versions 1 and 2), the B.1.1.7+E484K variant, and the B.1.351 variant as well as a subset of its mutations in the RBD. They detected

reductions by a factor of between 2.3 and 6.4 in titers of neutralizing antibodies against this panel of variants. The largest effect on neutralization, reduction by a factor of 6.4, was measured against the B.1.351 variant. HOWEVER, the geometric mean neutralizing titer against

B.1.351 was 1:290, and all the serum samples fully neutralized the rVSV pseudovirus, albeit at relatively low dilutions.

In conclusion, even with the slight reduction against B.1.351, the neutralizations were still well above detectable levels expressing the effectiveness of the vaccines against these variants. So yes, it’s very good news!

https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1366742151351132168

This study does not highlight T-cell immunity, however, should you be interested, this one does highlight the robust cell-mediated immune responses the mRNA vaccines elicit.

https://twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1366742151351132168

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Mac n’ Chise 🧬🦠🧫

@sailorrooscout

18 Mar

There had been a lot of concern surrounding fertility and pregnancy with the vaccines. I thought it would be nice to share the wonders of passive immunity as the first baby with antibodies against COVID-19 in the United States was born yesterday.

At 36 weeks pregnant, the South Florida frontline health care worker had received their first dose of Moderna’s vaccine.
cbsnews.com/news/covid-vac…

Do excuse the “yesterday” part! Apparently it was slow off the press! medrxiv.org/content/10.110…

Read 4 tweets

Mac n’ Chise 🧬🦠🧫

@sailorrooscout

15 Mar

“mRNA vaccines are gene therapy.” Yeah, that’s false. If you see someone claim this, they aren’t worth their salt as a scientist. Sorry not sorry. For one, this is mRNA we are talking about not DNA. Yes, there is a difference.

Gene therapy implies the use of DNA, which stays in your body and can be incorporated into your chromosomes. RNA doesn’t do this. The mRNA in our vaccines wouldn’t be converted into DNA because the enzymes capable of doing that aren’t present. Yeah, those are necessary, trust me.

Lastly, the mRNA strand is not stable enough to hang around. This is what lipid nanoparticles are for. We encased the mRNA so that it maintains its integrity and doesn’t get damaged as it enters cells. After the strand is read the mRNA then degrades. It doesn’t alter your DNA.

Read 4 tweets

Mac n’ Chise 🧬🦠🧫

@sailorrooscout

14 Mar

I think it’s important to note vaccines will not cause blood clotting related disorders. The reported numbers of these types of events you are seeing in the media for these vaccines are not greater than the number that would have occurred naturally in the unvaccinated population.

In reference to AstraZeneca’s vaccine: the UK has given over 10M doses of this vaccine and Pfizer’s vaccine. Number of blood clot related events: AZN had 13, Pfizer had 15. Also no, the vaccines don’t destroy your innate immune system nor do they alter your DNA. They never have.

It is an understatement when I say the irreparable damage that is being done right now is devastating. There are countries (including the U.S.) sitting on a stockpile of this vaccine that could be going to those who desperately need it. I have never seen a virus more politicized.

Read 7 tweets

Mac n’ Chise 🧬🦠🧫

@sailorrooscout

8 Mar

Look at those antibodies!
The latest from the New England Journal of Medicine shows the effective neutralization assessed with serum from participants vaccinated with 2 doses of Pfizer’s BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine against VOCs B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1.
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

To analyze effects on neutralization elicited by Pfizer’s vaccine, researchers engineered spike mutations from the from the current VOC lineages. They then performed 50% plaque reduction neutralization testing (PRNT50) using 20 serum samples that had been obtained from

15 participants in the pivotal trial 2 or 4 weeks after the administration of the second dose of 30 μg of Pfizer’s vaccine (which occurred 3 weeks after the first immunization). All the serum samples efficiently neutralized their isolate and all the viruses with variant spikes.

Read 6 tweets

Mac n’ Chise 🧬🦠🧫

@sailorrooscout

8 Mar

The CDC says fully vaccinated people do not need masks or social distancing when meeting indoors with those at low risk for COVID-19. The rest of the guidelines are as follows. 🧵

The CDC defines people who are fully vaccinated as those who are two weeks past their second dose of the Moderna and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine or two weeks past a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The CDC says fully vaccinated people can:
-Visit other vaccinated people indoors without masks or physical distancing

-Visit indoors with unvaccinated people from a single family without masks or physical distancing, if the unvaccinated people are at low risk for severe disease.

Read 13 tweets

Mac n’ Chise 🧬🦠🧫

@sailorrooscout

8 Mar

Remember weeks ago when I spoke about variants, selective pressure, and convergent evolution? The emerging variants we see all seem to adapt the E484K escape mutation. What does this mean? It means SARS-CoV-2 might have just played its best card and its reaching its limit.

@notdred

After mapping possible useful mutations of this virus, with E484K appearing to be of the most importance, we are possibly seeing the limits as to how far this virus can go. In the meantime, stay vigilant. Thank you @notdred for bringing this article up.
newyorker.com/science/medica…

So that no one is misinterpreting because I am seeing it already, this is meaning this might be the “worst” this virus can get. Also meaning, we are in a very good spot with more effective vaccine boosters on the way. We continue to stay on top of current VOCs with this mutation.

Read 5 tweets

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Mac n’ Chise 🧬🦠🧫

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