New Results
SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 escapes neutralization by South African COVID-19 donor plasma
View ORCID ProfileConstantinos Kurt Wibmer, Frances Ayres, Tandile Hermanus, Mashudu Madzivhandila, Prudence Kgagudi, Bronwen E. Lambson, Marion Vermeulen, Karin van den Berg, View ORCID ProfileTheresa Rossouw, Michael Boswell, View ORCID ProfileVeronica Ueckermann, View ORCID ProfileSusan Meiring, View ORCID ProfileAnne von Gottberg, View ORCID ProfileCheryl Cohen, Lynn Morris, View ORCID ProfileJinal N. Bhiman, View ORCID ProfilePenny L. Moore
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.18.427166
Constantinos Kurt Wibmer
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
Frances Ayres
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
Tandile Hermanus
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mashudu Madzivhandila
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
Prudence Kgagudi
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
Bronwen E. Lambson
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
2School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Marion Vermeulen
3South African National Blood Service, Weltevreden Park, South Africa.
Karin van den Berg
3South African National Blood Service, Weltevreden Park, South Africa.
4Division of Clinical Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Theresa Rossouw
5Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Michael Boswell
6Division for Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Steve Biko Academic Hospital and University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Veronica Ueckermann
6Division for Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Steve Biko Academic Hospital and University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Susan Meiring
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
Anne von Gottberg
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
2School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Cheryl Cohen
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
7School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Lynn Morris
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
2School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Jinal N. Bhiman
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
2School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Penny L. Moore
1National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa.
2School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2, a novel lineage of the coronavirus causing COVID-19, contains multiple mutations within two immunodominant domains of the spike protein. Here we show that this lineage exhibits complete escape from three classes of therapeutically relevant monoclonal antibodies. Furthermore 501Y.V2 shows substantial or complete escape from neutralizing antibodies in COVID-19 convalescent plasma. These data highlight the prospect of reinfection with antigenically distinct variants and may foreshadow reduced efficacy of current spike-based vaccines.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Copyright
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-ND 4.0 International license.
Posted January 19, 2021.
SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 escapes neutralization by South African COVID-19 donor plasma
Constantinos Kurt Wibmer, Frances Ayres, Tandile Hermanus, Mashudu Madzivhandila, Prudence Kgagudi, Bronwen E. Lambson, Marion Vermeulen, Karin van den Berg, Theresa Rossouw, Michael Boswell, Veronica Ueckermann, Susan Meiring, Anne von Gottberg, Cheryl Cohen, Lynn Morris, Jinal N. Bhiman, Penny L. Moore
bioRxiv 2021.01.18.427166; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.18.427166
SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 escapes neutralization by South African COVID-19 donor plasma
Constantinos Kurt Wibmer, Frances Ayres, Tandile Hermanus, Mashudu Madzivhandila, Prudence Kgagudi, Bronwen E. Lambson, Marion Vermeulen, Karin van den Berg, Theresa Rossouw, Michael Boswell, Veronica Ueckermann, Susan Meiring, Anne von Gottberg, Cheryl Cohen, Lynn Morris, Jinal N. Bhiman, Penny L. Moore
bioRxiv 2021.01.18.427166; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.18.427166
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