* Spike proteins in the California 'Epsilon' variant may be able to evade the neutralizing antibodies in Pfizer and Moderna vaccines
* Effectiveness of vaccines could potentially be reduced by 50 to 70 percent against the strain
* The findings mean that the vaccines will not be effective in combatting the variant
* Over 97% of cases of the Epsilon variant have been detected in the U.S., with almost half in California
Fully vaccinated people may still be at risk of infection from the California 'Epsilon' coronavirus variant, a new study finds.
Researchers from the University of Washington and Vir Biotechnology, based in San Francisco, found that the variant had three mutations on the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter and infect human cells.
These mutations could provide resistance to neutralizing antibodies generated by the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
What's more, the mutations may be able to evade natural antibodies a person forms after being infected with the virus.
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WNU editor: Just when you think it cannot get any worse, they break the news that Covid is even more dangerous than before.
More News On The 'Epsilon' Covid-19 Variant
Mutations help Epsilon coronavirus variant evade vaccine immunity: Study -- PTI
California ‘Epsilon’ strain of COVID-19 could evade vaccines, study says -- NYPost
Epsilon variant: What is the new variant and can it escape the vaccines? -- The Independent
California Researchers Discover America's First "Triple" Mutant COVID Strain -- Zero Hedge
