Study looks for cause of COVID-19 breakthrough infections

Despite robust immune responses to the original SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, many vaccinated individuals remained vulnerable to infection with the omicron variant of the virus. A study published in April in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insights suggested vaccine-induced antibodies were less able to bind to the omicron variant’s ACE2 receptor than to the original virus receptor, opening the door to breakthrough COVID-19 infection. The study was conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases within the National Institutes of Health. (Johns Hopkins Medicine news release, 4/26/22)