South Africa coronavirus strain could resist vaccines: Scientists

LONDON: UK scientists have warned that the South African strain of COVID-19 might prove resistant to current vaccines, the Daily Telegraph reported.

It is known to carry three separate mutations, one of which — called N501Y — has also been found in a UK strain known as the Kent variant.

But the South African strain also carries mutations called E484K and K417N, which effect the virus’s spike protein mechanism used to latch on to human cells. This could interfere with how the vaccines target the virus.