...which makes it all the more difficult to make any firm predictions for the autumn.

In focus: Vaccine side-effects versus post-acute sequelae (“Long Covid”).

Dr Robert Hess skepticism regarding the efficacy of all previous vaccines against the Delta variant has been confirmed by the announcement from BioNTech/Pfizer that they are working on a vaccine that will specifically target this mutant.

So far, we have been testing only one of the two immunity pillars, namely antibody production. In addition to checking the full range of antibodies, we at Salvagene go far beyond the generally applied classification to differentiate between the neutralizing antibodies and identify efficacy classes – low, medium and high – plus ADE antibodies which may even have the undesired effect of amplifying an infection. From now on, we will also be measuring the second Covid-19 immune pillar – namely T cell immunity – in great detail. For this purpose, we have upgraded our Covid-19 Immunization Program with the inclusion of the new SARS-CoV-2 T-Cell immunity analysis.

The SARS-CoV-2 T-Cell immunity analysis is to be integrated into the Covid-19 Immunization Program for Salvagene Premium clients with immediate effect.

So far, we have been testing only one of the two immunity pillars, namely antibody production. In addition to checking the full range of antibodies, we at Salvagene go far beyond the generally applied classification to differentiate between the neutralizing antibodies and identify efficacy classes – low, medium and high – plus ADE antibodies which may even have the undesired effect of amplifying an infection. From now on, we will also be measuring the second Covid-19 immune pillar – namely T cell immunity – in great detail. For this purpose, we have upgraded our Covid-19 Immunization Program with the inclusion of the new SARS-CoV-2 T-Cell immunity analysis.

Though the news was not entirely unexpected, we regret to report that the breakthrough vaccine promised by CureVac will now not be forthcoming. There are a number of reasons for this, but the main factor was the high demands that CureVac itself placed on the product. The aim was to develop a vaccine that was as natural as possible – ideally the most natural vaccine to date. In the end, it was the much-debated issue of vaccine-induced side-effects and long-term effects that thwarted their endeavor.

This is a vital question that can only be answered when enough time has elapsed for results to come in.

There is one thing we can be certain of, however, namely that the protection afforded by vaccines does not live up to the claims made by their manufacturers. We strongly disagree with the assertion that “vaccine protection will remain at the same high level for approximately one year, so that we can get into an annual vaccination cycle like the one we have for influenza.” This is the reason why we set up our SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Profile Monitoring for Premium clients at the start of this year, measuring levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies as well as T-helper cells specific to SARS-CoV-2 and thereby covering both pillars of the immune response.

In India, the Delta variant has been responsible for a sharp increase in the number of infections, illnesses and fatalities. The health system there is at breaking point. In the meantime, the Delta variant has also been discovered in other parts of the world, especially in the UK, which is a country where virus variants are monitored with exemplary thoroughness. It is expected that the Delta variant will supplant Alpha (B.1.1.7), which has been the most widespread variant so far. According to official data, Delta is currently present in nine out of ten samples sent for analysis.

... SARS-CoV-2 antibody and immunization testing that the track record of the vaccines is very disappointing, with more side-effects than originally expected. We therefore intend to have a personalized vaccine combination in place for 2022.

In contrast to the phase 3 data published by the various vaccine manufacturers, some of which claim headline rates of more than 90% efficacy, the test results that have come back from our clients indicate none of the vaccines has achieved this sort of success. Based on the clinical data and biochemical evaluations that we carry out at regular three-monthly intervals, we conclude that the levels actually attained are considerably lower. Antibody production and quality in particular reveal a significantly lower immunization status. This applies to all vaccines.

...to the effect that a laboratory accident as the cause of the pandemic was “extremely unlikely”. The skepticism we expressed at the time about their findings is now being vindicated.

At the time, we came in for considerable criticism for our assessment that the probability of a laboratory accident having released the virus was around 60%, and we were even accused of stirring up a conspiracy theory.

In our series on smart solutions for managing the coronavirus crisis, Dr Robert Hess has frequently reported on C19 rapid antigen testing, and he has explained how this technology has the potential to be a real game changer in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the onset of the flu season, it is vital to correctly diagnose symptoms to establish what kind of infection they indicate. We explain below why this is so important.

During the flu season, we are exposed to a whole range of different viruses, of which SARS-CoV-2 is currently the greatest cause for concern. The four most important virus types in this flu season also include the coronaviruses responsible for triggering the common cold, the influenza viruses which cause flu and the noroviruses responsible for gastrointestinal infections.

It is very important to distinguish and diagnose which disease you may be suffering from. As we have already reported, in the event of multiple infections, the order in which they have been caught will determine the severity of the course of the disease.