Booster shots targeting SARS virus may help fight Covid variants


Singapore, Aug 19 (IANS): People who were infected with SARS in 2003 and recovered are able to produce antibodies that can potentially neutralise all known Covid-19 variants of concern, scientists have found.

The findings, published in The New England Journal Of Medicine, could pave the way for the development of a booster jab, which may involve targeting the SARS-CoV-1 virus responsible for the SARS epidemic in 2003, the Strait Times reported.

A team from the Duke-NUS medical school and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), found that the antibodies can also tackle other potential animal coronaviruses, offering a broader spectrum of protection for future variants and coronaviruses.

Among the coronavirus family, one viral sub-group relies on the ACE2 molecule -- a protein found on the surface of many cell types -- to enter human cells. Neutralising antibodies are able to prevent the viral spike protein from binding with the ACE2 molecules in human cells.

"Both SARS-CoV-1 and the SARS-Cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, belong to this group, as well as a number of coronaviruses circulating among animals such as bats, pangolins and civets," Professor Wang Linfa from the Duke-NUS Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) programme was quoted as saying.

"Collectively, this group of viruses is known as the sarbecovirus, which has the potential to jump from animals to humans, and could start the next pandemic, although the exact route of transmission still remains unknown," he added.

The SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 viruses, and the sarbecoviruses have similar antibody-binding sites, which can be targeted by a pan-sarbecovirus neutralising antibody to prevent infection.

For the study, the team recruited eight people who recovered from SARS-CoV-1, 10 healthy people and 10 people who recovered from Covid-19 and compared the immune response of the three groups before and after they were vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine.

Before getting vaccinated, people who recovered from SARS had detectable neutralising antibodies against the SARS-CoV-1 virus, but had little to no antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Dr Wanni Chia, a research fellow at the Duke-NUS EID programme was quoted as saying.

But after taking two shots of the Pfizer Covid vaccine, they displayed high levels of neutralising antibodies against both viruses, and a broad spectrum of antibodies against 10 sarbecoviruses that were examined, she noted.

The team now aims to develop a vaccine booster to increase protection for the Covid-19 variants, and potential SARS-CoV-3 or SARS-CoV-4 disease, the report said.

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • John, Mangalore

    Thu, Aug 19 2021

    These gates, fauci and communist chinese had failed during so called H1N1 2009 pandemic to push their forced evil vaccines, then some whistleblower stopped it?. Now with control of mass media, fact checkers they are carrying it? Following Divine forewarning message in 2014 on it to John Leary dated Monday, August 4, 2014 ... Jesus said: “My people, I have talked about a deadly pandemic virus that would be purposely spread among the people to reduce the population. This concept of reducing the population is a plan of Satan, who hates man, and he has the one world people carrying this out because they worship Satan. This statement about reducing the population is also in the Georgia Guide stones, which is part of their ten commandments that contradict My Commandments. For those who want to learn more about AIDS and ebola as laboratory creations, there is a book called ‘Emerging viruses, AIDS and ebola’ by Dr. Leonard Horowitz. This book shows you all the background for how these viruses were made and distributed. When the swine flu became pandemic, these evil ones behind it, tried to force everyone to have a flu shot which actually impairs your immune system. This same scare with ebola, will precipitate the same mandatory flu shots that will again compromise your immune system. It is better to refuse these flu shots, and take Hawthorn, herbs, and vitamins to build up your immune system. If you see a contagious deadly virus that is transmitted in the air, then I will advise My faithful to come to My refuges, where you can look on My luminous cross in the sky or drink the healing spring water to heal any disease. This pandemic virus is one of the conditions to come to My refuges. Other signs are a world famine, a bank failure, a division in My Church, and mandatory chips in the body. You may even see people persecuted because they refused these flu shots. Have trust in My protection, as your lives will be in danger, when I will call all of My faithful to My refuges.” Ref: http://www.johnleary.com/index.php/2014/08/?cat=3&order=ASC

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: Booster shots targeting SARS virus may help fight Covid variants



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.