SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Variants and COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy
Attapon Cheepsattayakorn
Abstract
Identification and analysis of current available COVID-19 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) variants of concern, efficacy, and their adverse events are the objective of this study. The current variants of concern, lineages B.1.351, B.1.1.7, and P1 affect the function of the spike protein and other SARS-CoV-2 proteins and can alter interaction with hACE2. The first three COVID-19 vaccines with expressing spike protein and a progressing national rollout have authorization of emergency use in the United Kingdom (UK) and demonstrated protection against COVID-19 and decreased transmission after vaccination in the preliminary report. The search was applied to the articles that were published between 2020 and early 2021. With strict literature search and screening processes, it yielded 12 articles (2020 = 2; and early 2021 to mid-March 2021 = 10 articles) from 400 articles of initial literature database (2020-early 2021). A study demonstrated in early March 2021 the efficacy of various COVID-19 vaccines produced by many manufactures in symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) patients and patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) variants as the following products (vaccine name), used technology, doses, efficacy against symptomatic disease, and efficacy against variants (B.1.1.7 (first detected in the United Kingdom) and B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa)).