Don't Believe the Hype About COVID 'Super Strains,' Says Top Virologist

[Whatisgoingon89]

www.thestreet.com/latest-news/there-are-no-covid-super-strains-yet-says-virologist-vincent-racaniello

“ I am not worried at all that this virus is going to out-evolve vaccines. People have been looking at it the wrong way. People have been looking at antibodies. People say, “ah, the variants are less susceptible to antibodies. But, you know what? They are ignoring T cells. It turns out, none of the variants have changes that would impact the ability of the T cells to kill an infected cell. The Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - Get Report vaccine turns out to be 100% effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths in South Africa…. I just saw an article today that showed that the U.K. variant ... made no difference in the outbreak in the U.K. It made no difference. The people who know, they are not worrying that the vaccines are going to be compromised by a variant. That’s what I can say with certainty.”

T cells have been ignored by the media throughout. I assume because most laypeople understand what antibodies are and have a vague idea how they work. T cells are more complicated or less well known so they've been overlooked again and again by the mainstream media.

How does this scientist explain the situation in Brazil? In Manaus in Brazil 70% of people were reinfected with Covid. If this scientist’s line of reasoning in correct, and I don’t believe it is, these people would have been protected by T cells from the first infection, would they not?

Could the number of initial Brazilian cases been overestimated? From what I’ve read it’s unlikely though.

Is the person quoted here suggesting that it’s post-immunisation T Cells that are doing the work as they mention J&J, post infection ones or both? (I’m not a scientist, obviously)

I thought the Manaus 70% figure had been discredited?

Germany's leading virologist, Christian Drosten, has doubted the 70 % figure

And also thinks that the virus hasn't got many more options to mutate

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

I thought the Manaus 70% figure had been discredited?

Me too.

.

I haven’t heard that about Manaus but if it’s true it could be good news for the vaccines. I agree the media don’t talk T cells at all and they’re more important than antibodies in terms of long term protection.

I remember they developed a vaccine for SARS 1 but didn’t complete the trials but they found that people who had received the vaccine had long term immunity lasting a number of years due to T cells. If that’s the case case for the Covid-19 vaccine that would be brilliant news.

Weeks ago I had heard that the situation in Manaus was possibly as a result of a different social strata getting hit by the resurgent covid.

But really when it comes to variants I'll take my lead from the professor here!