Local scientists have found that people who were infected by the 501Y.V2 variant of Covid-19, during the second wave of the pandemic, developed antibodies which may prevent reinfection from all other variants.
It is however unclear how long this immunity could last.
This variant is still dominant in South Africa, with most people being infected with it.
This finding was revealed during a media briefing hosted by the Minister of Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande and the Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize.
Local scientists, including the Director of the KZN Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (Krisp), Prof Tulio de Oliveira, shared the news. Prof de Oliveira, a self-proclaimed virus hunter, was the first person to identify the new variant.
He says this finding does not mean people who have been infected should not get vaccinated:
The African Health Research Institute’s Prof Alex Sigal, explains the problem of variants could well be solved by this discovery:
Prof Penny Moore explains how neutralising antibodies from the 501Y.V2 variant are cross reactive, thereby preventing infection by other variants. pic.twitter.com/sKiMfsKsRQ
— NICD (@nicd_sa) March 3, 2021
A visual depiction of how the COVID-19 variant has spread across the globe, being detected in 48 different countries. #FightCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/02gl725BtJ
— NICD (@nicd_sa) March 3, 2021
Happening now!
Briefing on the latest scientific results on the #COVID19 variant 501Y.V2 with @dsigovza and @HealthZA and with input from @sigallab and @krisp_news @Tuliodna https://t.co/rwx0DTdZZt
— Africa Health Research Institute (@AHRI_News) March 3, 2021
