BBC News
By Michelle Roberts
Published
image copyrightGetty Images
image captionOver-50s who have had a dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine can take part in a study on mixing jabs
A major UK trial looking at whether Covid vaccines can be mixed with different types of jabs used for first and second doses is being expanded.
Combining vaccines might give broader, longer-lasting immunity against the virus and new variants of it, and offer more flexibility to vaccine rollout.
Adults over 50 who have had a first dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca can apply to take part in the Com-Cov study.
No evidence B.1.1.7. variant worsens symptoms or increases risk of long COVID
As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), spreads globally, new emerging variants pose health threats to many counties.
The emergence of variants with specific mutations of key epitopes in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 raises concerns on vaccination efforts and the use of monoclonal antibodies.
Researchers at the University College London and the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust aimed to describe the emergence of the B.1.1.7 variant of concern (VOC), including viral characteristics and clinical severity.
The study, published in
Studies provide insights into characteristics and clinical effect of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant
Two new studies, published in
The Lancet Infectious Diseases and
The Lancet Public Health, found no evidence that people with the B.1.1.7. variant experience worse symptoms or a heightened risk of developing long COVID compared with those infected with a different COVID-19 strain. However, viral load and R number were higher for B.1.1.7., adding to growing evidence that it is more transmissible than the first strain detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
The emergence of variants has raised concerns that they could spread more easily and be more deadly, and that vaccines developed based on the original strain might be less effective against them. Preliminary data on B.1.1.7. indicates that it is more transmissible, with some evidence suggesting it could also be associated with increased hospitalisations and deaths. However, because the variant was identified only recently, these
London - A major United Kingdom trial looking at whether coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines can be mixed with different types of jabs used for first and second doses is being expanded. Combining vaccines might give broader, longer-lasting immunity against the virus and new variants of it, and offer more flexibility to vaccine rollout. Adults over 50 who have had a first dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca can apply to take part …
A University of College London-led study found no difference in severity and mortality rates between patients hospitalized with the more transmissible B.1.1.7 variant or other COVID-19 strains.