mRNA vaccines appear effective vs India variant; people with HIV at higher risk for severe Covid-19
India TodayThe following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. mRNA vaccines likely effective against India variant Both of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are likely effective against the coronavirus variant that is rapidly spreading throughout India and several other countries, according to laboratory experiments. People with HIV at risk for more severe COVID-19 People with HIV who become infected with the coronavirus may be at higher risk for severe illness, according to new data. Among the 31 people with HIV and 70 people without it who became infected with the coronavirus, however, the likelihood of severe COVID-19 was 5.52-fold higher in the HIV group, the research team reported in The Lancet HIV. "People living with HIV should be followed up after vaccination, with antibody and T-cell activity measured when possible, to ensure they mount a sufficient immune response to prevent cases of severe COVID-19," the researchers advise.