SARS-CoV-2 variants: Impact on vaccines and laboratory testing

SARS-CoV-2 variants have been with us since the dawn of the pandemic, but only recently has their impact on disease and immunity been broadly recognized. Variants of concern (VOC), including Delta, are particularly troubling as they harbour one or more characteristics such as increased infectiousness or resistance to neutralizing antibodies that can facilitate transmission.

Variants of interest (VOI) display concerning mutations that require close monitoring. Genetic diversity enables the virus to adapt in ways that can impact immunity from vaccination or recovered infection, as well as some diagnostic testing.

This webinar will discuss potential consequences of SARS-CoV-2 mutations and variants on vaccination status and laboratory testing.

The role of serology will be discussed, including accumulating evidence that levels of antibody correlate to immune protection and are impacted by some variants. The critical role of monitoring for variants with easy-to-use RT-PCR-based molecular testing will be reviewed.

Attend this webinar to:

• Define VOCs vs. VOIs and the impact of mutations
• Recognize the role of antibody testing with variants
• Explain viral genetic evolution, including:

The potential consequences on SARS-CoV-2 detection

How simple-to-use RNA-based molecular testing can detect mutations and enable the identification of major variants