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Mixed AstraZeneca-Pfizer shot boosts COVID antibody level – study

Mixed AstraZeneca-Pfizer shot boosts COVID antibody level – study

SANGMI CHA A mixed vaccination of first AstraZeneca and then a Pfizer COVID-19 shot boosted neutralizing antibody levels by six times compared with two AstraZeneca doses, a study from South Korea showed. The study involved 499 medical workers - 100 receiving mixed doses, 200 taking two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot and the remainder getting two AstraZeneca shots. All showed neutralizing antibodies, which prevent the virus from entering cells and replicating, and the result of the mixed schedule of vaccines showed similar amounts of neutralizing antibodies found from the group that received two Pfizer shots. A British study last month…
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Antibody tests aren’t a COVID-19 panacea. But they’re a useful additional tool

Antibody tests aren’t a COVID-19 panacea. But they’re a useful additional tool

EFTYHIA VARDAS, Clinical specialist Virology, Stellenbosch University AS the COVID-19 pandemic escalates, South Africa is struggling to keep up with the demand for testing. This has pushed laboratory professionals and clinicians to consider using alternative tests that are commonly used to diagnose and detect exposure to other viral infectious diseases. The Conversation Africa’s Ina Skosana asked Professor Eftyhia Vardas to explain what’s being done. What’s the most commonly used test? Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are the standard means of diagnosing viral respiratory infections. It is a molecular test that detects the viral genetic material that indicates the presence of…
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