BIP : The Institut Pasteur Newsletter, April 2, 2021

The B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants of SARS-CoV-2 were first detected in the UK and South Africa respectively, and have since spread to many other countries. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur joined forces with Orléans Regional Hospital, Tours University Hospital, Créteil Intercommunal Hospital, Strasbourg University Hospital and Georges Pompidou European Hospital to study the sensitivity of these two variants to neutralizing antibodies present in the serum samples of people who have been vaccinated or previously infected with SARS-CoV-2.

The current pandemic has given rise to an avalanche of information, messages and statements from a host of experts, or in some cases individuals held up as experts by traditional media outlets or social media. The quality of this information is variable, and the initial source is not always available.

The Institut Pasteur's information systems user charter has recently been updated to keep step with developments in technology and IT usage related to remote working, the use of personal equipment, social media, laws and regulations, IT-based threats, etc.