> but are those mutations antithetical in some way to antibody production?
The problem Delta presents to antibody-based protection is that there is a several day lag in the body's response to detecting the virus until it produces mass antibodies.
If the (small) number of circulating antibodies are overcome by a large viral load, and if the virus becomes transmissible in a shorter time period, it can "get inside the curve" of antibody response and result in a transmissible infection before the host mounts a full response. Delta is apparently a couple of days 'faster' than the previous Alpha strain in getting to the transmissible stage.
I see. So the issue isn’t so much a neutralizing antibody mismatch, but rather an antibody production lag in b cells.
That makes covid a long run big problem. We’ll have to be repeatedly challenged with the antigen to keep antibody levels high. Kind of a minor inconvenience for some, but a large % of the population will not comply.
Edit:
It would seem that it is basically speculation at this point. Memory b-cell response effectiveness will depend on the binding affinity of its antibodies. A high binding affinity antibody producing memory cell will much more rapidly mount an effective response than one that must undergo further affinity maturation.
The role of cellular immunity isn’t as clear. What would probably make a big difference, though, would be mucosal immunity given by a nasal vaccine. Get those antibodies located at the point of infection and they can get to work earlier.
The problem Delta presents to antibody-based protection is that there is a several day lag in the body's response to detecting the virus until it produces mass antibodies.
If the (small) number of circulating antibodies are overcome by a large viral load, and if the virus becomes transmissible in a shorter time period, it can "get inside the curve" of antibody response and result in a transmissible infection before the host mounts a full response. Delta is apparently a couple of days 'faster' than the previous Alpha strain in getting to the transmissible stage.