Scientists discover antibody-resistant strain of COVID-19

 Scientists at Texas A&M University have discovered a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 BV-1 coronavirus, which has proven immune to some neutralizing antibodies that can inhibit other strains of the virus.

According to a press release published on MedicalXpress, the strain combines genetic markers associated with rapid spread, more severe disease, and high resistance to the human immune system.

While BV-1 has only been found in a saliva sample from a student with symptoms of a mild cold, no other infections have been found. Experts received positive test results for this strain of the virus on March 5 and March 25, which indicates a longer course of infection than usually occurs in patients aged 18-24 years. A third saliva sample obtained on April 9 was negative and showed no signs of the virus.

While many laboratories in the United States and globally are sequencing (decoding the genome) only those viruses that are isolated from patients with severe COVID-19, experts at Texas A&M University are conducting broader screening to find potentially dangerous variants of coronavirus before they cause serious illness. Scientists have already submitted BV-1 genome sequence data to GISAID, a genomic database of influenza and coronavirus viruses.

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