Page 12 - Beta Variant News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

What about omicron gives you that confidence? what part of it? because there's all these mutations which is obviously freaking out -- this is a more mutated virus than i guess was expected this early, correct? >> well, what we've seen is when you get really very, very high levels of virus neutralizing antibody, when we looked at it against the beta variant that came out of south africa last year, or the lambda which had some of the same mutations as omicron, yes, you got a decrease in virus neutralizing antibody with it but if you had enough to begin with, it seemed to hold you over. there was...

Pandemic. that gave them the experience to know how to look at viruses, now how to break down the genetic sequencing. one of the pioneers in this field is dr. richard lessles. he helped discover the beta variant almost a year ago. i was on the phone with him yesterday back doing these zoom interviews and we were talking about this new variant. they have mostly anecdotal evidence about the symptoms. some of the symptoms appear to be a little different. some doctors and nurses are describing they're not seeing loss of taste and smell. they're generally seeing younger people infected. some of the...

If you do it too early,... when you're confronted with a new variant that might be more able to escape vaccine protection, the goal posts do move a bit in terms of the timing and age groups and so on and that is what the announcements coming up will try to address, i think. what will try to address, i think. what is the scene _ will try to address, i think. what is the scope for _ will try to address, i think. what is the scope for adjusting - will try to address, i think. what is the scope for adjusting the current vaccines we have if we need to to make them more effective if it is necessary ...

What they're seeing there. >> based on the current evidence in south africa, it's transmitting faster than the delta variant and the overlap with the beta variant some evidence of immune escape from antibodies. the clinical is just basic with covid, nothing different. the second is that what they are seeing are largely younger people, but that's to be expected, because we have much higher vaccine coverage in the older people. we have a much lower vaccine coverage in younger people, so that's just to be expected. >> now this morning, president biden will be briefed by his white house covid team...

These two together until we know what's going on are going to be critical in our line of defense. >> if it turns out this particular variant doesn't work with the current vaccine, how much will it take to come up with a booster to protect against a variant like this? >> at moderna, we've been testing various and significant boosters since over the summer, one to the beta variant, one to the delta. our platform we can move very fast, we think weeks to within two to three months, we would be able to have an omicron-specific vaccine booster available for testing and then for administration. this ...