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Slack / Private Message Drop, p.332 [SLACK_000546] · slack_pm:msg:03488

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I really hope it isn't that easy... We'll know soon enough. Massive-scale epitope mapping really needed.

In context

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2020-12-20 18:43 Robert F. Garry open

To Andrew's key point "Do folks understand that there are two separate concerns?" From what I gather the answer -at least at the moment - is no.
2020-12-20 18:58 Kristian G. Andersen open

Totally agree Bob - we have no idea which epitopes are protective and we don't know if e.g., the different vaccines cover the same epitopes. Given that the Oxford/AZN vaccine doesn't use stabilized spike (so stupid!) I assume that probably provides protection via only a handful of epitopes. Let's see what the experiments show - will be critical.
2020-12-20 19:20 Robert F. Garry open

Reading the Kai K article in Science and I think he gets it right. I agree with Sir Jeremy and comments above that this is an high alert event. With both 69/70 del and N501Y looking like neutralizing epitopes in domains importantenuff that the SAME mutations could plausibly also cause increased transmissibility [not to mention the P in the FCS] there is no reason to blow this off ala VR.
2020-12-20 19:26 Robert F. Garry open

Knocking out two neutralizing epitope would not likely be a good thing for vaccine efficacy. Agree about Oxford/AZN- just begging for escape.
2020-12-20 19:47 Kristian G. Andersen

I really hope it isn't that easy... We'll know soon enough. Massive-scale epitope mapping really needed.