PANDEMIC REPORT: Delta variant & vaccine antibodies | Vaccine development

ST. LOUIS, MO—Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that the Delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is largely unable to evade antibodies elicited by vaccination. The researchers analyzed a panel of antibodies generated by people in response to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and found that Delta was unable to evade all but one of the antibodies they tested.

COVID and white blood cell clones

NASHVILLE, TN—Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found that people recovering from COVID-19 and those vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 produce clones, or groups, of antibody-producing white blood cells. The findings could help scientists design more effective vaccines and antibody therapies against a broader range of variants.

Antibodies & Data

LOUISVILLE, KY—The Co-Immunity Project at the University of Louisville has tested and studied the COVID-19 antibodies of almost 13,000 people to gain a better idea of how the virus has spread in Louisville. So far, the research appears to show natural antibodies taper off in roughly three months while vaccinated antibodies appear to hold stronger.