Health

Scientists detect further mutation in UK coronavirus variant

London, Feb 2 (efe-epa).- Scientists have detected further mutations in the so-called United Kingdom coronavirus variant that could reduce vaccine efficacy.

Researchers studied 214,159 samples of the variant and discovered 11 cases of the E484K mutation, which is also present in the Brazilian and South African variants of the coronavirus.

Consultant virologist Julian Tang, an honorary associate professor at the University of Leicester, said it was a “worrying development, though not entirely unexpected.”

A study from the University of Cambridge on Tuesday said that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was likely to be effective against the UK variant of coronavirus but that the presence of the E484K mutation within the variant increased “the amount of antibody required to prevent infection.” EFE-EPA

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