Is there any data yet on how effective the two vaccines are in preventing hospitalization or death from infection by the new (particularly the California) variants?
Are tests routinely being tested for these variants? More concerningly, could we get to the point where the genetics are so different from the OG COVID we know and love that a sample might not test positive for COVID at all?
No, tests aren’t being routinely use to detect variants, because they can’t. Tests (like PCR) tells us a positive or negative. they do NOT detect the type of variant. we got lucky with B117, in that this particular variant lit up two signals (instead of 3 signals) on PCR tests
Is there any data yet on how effective the two vaccines are in preventing hospitalization or death from infection by the new (particularly the California) variants?
Are tests routinely being tested for these variants? More concerningly, could we get to the point where the genetics are so different from the OG COVID we know and love that a sample might not test positive for COVID at all?
No, tests aren’t being routinely use to detect variants, because they can’t. Tests (like PCR) tells us a positive or negative. they do NOT detect the type of variant. we got lucky with B117, in that this particular variant lit up two signals (instead of 3 signals) on PCR tests