US Coronavirus: Coronavirus variants pose a high risk of infecting people again if they become dominant, Fauci says cnn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cnn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Those who had Covid-19 could get reinfected if the variants become dominant, Fauci says
Even for those who have been infected with Covid-19, there is a “very high rate” of re-infection if the new variants become dominant, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday.
Health experts have identified at least three coronavirus variants in the US that appeared to originate in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. While the average case rate in the US has declined lately, officials are concerned these variants could fuel another surge.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that health experts in South Africa have seen that the variant there has such a high rate of reinfection that previous infection did not appear to protect people.
Scientists have now discovered a mutation in at least 11 samples of the B.1.1.7 strain that might escape antibody protection, according to a report Monday by Public Health England.
The mutation, called E484K, was already part of the genetic signature of variants linked to South Africa and Brazil.
A new lab study found that antibodies from vaccinated people were less effective at neutralizing a synthetic virus resembling samples of B.1.1.7 that had developed an E484K mutation
“This doesn’t appear to be great news for vaccine efficacy,” said Joseph Fauver, an associate research scientist in epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health.
You might feel totally fine and experience no side effects at all after the vaccine, but the CDC says it’s also possible to experience minor flu-like symptoms, including pain and swelling at the injection site, a fever, chills, fatigue, or headache. All of this is totally normal, as it “basically shows that the immune system is being primed” to fight the virus, Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease and professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, previously told Prevention.com.
Of course, if you feel crummy for a few days, you’ll want to start feeling better ASAP. But the CDC says you should avoid taking an over-the-counter pain-relieving medication like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) before you get the vaccine, and to talk to your doctor if you wish to take them around the time of your immunization. Here’s what you should know.