Somewhat reassuring article regarding the mink mutation:
alkhaleejtoday.co/business/5301796/Is-the-COVID-19-mutation-in-mink-dangerous.html
The quote by Professor Martin Krönke (see below), Director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene at the University Hospital of Cologne seems particularly optimistic. Of course we can't know for sure that he is correct at this point, but given his title it seems he should have a good idea what he is talking about.
But what does that mean for the development of vaccines? What effects does the mutation in mink have on the formation of antibodies against COVID-19?
Martin Krönke:’The protective effect of the antibodies in the vaccine is to prevent the virus from multiplying in the human cell. To do this, the antibodies must bind to a specific virus protein, called the spike protein, to prevent the virus from entering human cells. The mink mutation now apparently affects the binding site of the spike protein, causing some antibodies to lose their neutralizing function. On the other hand, the vaccination creates dozens of different antibodies that bind to different sites on the spike protein. Many of them should still have a neutralizing effect even with the mink mutation
Some vaccines are on the verge of breaking through. Should manufacturers like Biontech, Curevac or Moderna now need to revise their tests again?
Martin Krönke: No, I don’t see it gloomy. The mutation does not mean that the vaccinations are ineffective. Compared to infection with Sars-Cov-2, much higher antibody levels can be achieved with vaccinations, which also have a broader spectrum of action. And so far it has not been shown that the new mink variant is already widely distributed