New UK variant and evaluation of antibody escape

Summary

With new COVID-19 variants of the virus emerging, it is more important than ever to understand if, and how, our current vaccines respond to the effects of these new variants. This will help us understand whether the new variant virus is evading antibody responses and therefore whether the current vaccines offer adequate protection against novel COVID-19 variants.

This study aims to look at these outcomes in a group of over 150 volunteers whom have received both doses of either the Oxford AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination. Testing has already begun, with participants being invited for recall appointments at three, six and 12 months following their COVID-19 vaccinations, including booster doses.

In early 2023, BBC Look East came to the BioResource clinic to talk with one of the study volunteers and Prof. Gupta in his lab about how this piece of research is part of the ongoing fight against COVID-19 and protection against new variants. 

You can watch the short film on YouTube and read the accompanying BBC News article.