How did you sequence B.1.617 in the lab and what were the prominent findings? How does the variant impact vaccines?

We were interested in seeing how B.1.617 is expanding in India, says Prof Gupta. "We wanted to examine the hype around the variant and if the two mutations could evade neutralising antibodies." One of the mutations, E484Q is similar to E484K found in South Africa and Brazil, but the worry was it would have a similar reaction to vaccines. "We generated artificial viruses in the lab, which have spike protein on the surface, a well-validated system, and then we tested the ability of antibodies to block those viruses from entering the cell – in other words, what we call neutralisation," says Prof Gupta. If the spike protein has mutated or changed, some of the antibodies form via vaccination will not be able to recognise the spike protein.

India’s other prominent vaccine is Covaxin. Do you expect Covaxin to react in a similar fashion to the Indian Variant?

"I would expect Covaxin to react in a similar way since it uses a virus that has a similar sequence in its spike protein as AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine," says Prof Gupta. A study conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Virology and Bharat Biotech, makers of India's indigenous Covaxin, indicates that the vaccine is effective against B.1.617.

How big is the risk of reinfections with the variant?

"In the UK, we've seen many people getting reinfected, some with more serious disease due to the Kent/UK variant. We know that vaccine responses in older individuals is poorer, so we will be seeing populations that are less responsive to vaccines or previous infections," says Prof Gupta. "Their immunity will not reach very high peaks and will drop off quicker, and therefore they'll be at risk of more severe disease and reinfections," he adds. (This was first published on FIT and has been republished with permission.)