New%20SARS-CoV-2%20Variants%20%u2014%20Clinical%2C%20Public%20Health%2C%20and%20Vaccine%20Implications%20%7C%20NEJM

New%20SARS-CoV-2%20Variants%20%u2014%20Clinical%2C%20Public%20Health%2C%20and%20Vaccine%20Implications%20%7C%20NEJM The clinical relevance of the lower neutralization activity for either mild or severe Covid-19 is not clear, but efficacy in clinical trials was lower for all three vaccines tested in the midst of transmission of the 501Y.V2 variant in South Africa than efficacy in trials conducted in countries with preexisting variants. Efficacy was higher by a factor of 3.2 with the AZD1222 vaccine in the United Kingdom and Brazil than in South Africa (70% vs. 22%), higher by a factor of 1.8 with the NVX-CoV237 vaccine in the United Kingdom than in South Africa (89% vs. 49%), and higher by a factor of 1.3 with the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine in the United States than in South Africa (72% vs. 57%).

South African variant can 'break through' Pfizer vaccine, Israeli study says | Reuters

South African variant can 'break through' Pfizer vaccine, Israeli study says | Reuters “Even if the South African variant does break through the vaccine’s protection, it has not spread widely through the population,” said Stern, adding that the British variant may be “blocking” the spread of the South African strain.

Variant Hunters Race to Find New Strains Where Testing Lags | WIRED

Variant Hunters Race to Find New Strains Where Testing Lags | WIRED What has shocked researchers about the variant identified in the Tanzanian travelers is that it is so distantly related to other variants of concern. It’s a member of the so-called “A lineage”—sometimes dubbed the “19 lineage” since it appeared in 2019—and is the closest known relative to the virus that first spilled into humans. “My postdoc sent me a Slack message saying, ‘WTF the A lineage??’” says Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at Harvard University who studies viral evolution. Variants of the A lineage are still picked up from time to time, but by early 2020, most of them had been outcompeted by members of the still-reigning B lineage. The finding underlines the power of human networks in how viruses spread, Hanage adds. B-lineage variants clearly acquired mutations that made them fit to spread across the world, but what if they also got boosted by luck? It’s possible that viruses of the B lineage simply happened to take root early on in densely populated places like New York City and Italy, and from there they took over the world.

Why we need booster shots against variants to help end the pandemic

Why we need booster shots against variants to help end the pandemic Booster shots are part of a more comprehensive strategy to blunt the impact of the mutant strains. In February, the Biden administration earmarked $200 million to escalate surveillance and pay for an early warning system that will sequence SARS-CoV-2 samples across the nation in order to better identify and track emerging variants. This effort will be coordinated by a SARS-CoV-2 Interagency Group, within the Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of the project is to monitor and characterize emerging “variants of concern,” which pose the greatest threats because they’re more contagious, deadly, or able to evade the body’s protective mechanisms.

Analysis: How worried should you be about coronavirus variants? A virologist explains his concerns | PBS NewsHour

Analysis: How worried should you be about coronavirus variants? A virologist explains his concerns | PBS NewsHour India and California have recently detected “double mutant” variants that, although not yet classified, have gained international interest. They have one key mutation in the spike protein similar to one found in the Brazilian and South African variants, and another already found in the B.1.427 and B.1.429 California variants. As of today, no variant has been classified as of high consequence, although the concern is that this could change as new variants emerge and we learn more about the variants already circulating.

Covid: Brazil has more than 4,000 deaths in 24 hours for first time - BBC News

Covid: Brazil has more than 4,000 deaths in 24 hours for first time - BBC News: What is the Brazil variant? Fiocruz says it has detected 92 variants of coronavirus in the country, including the P.1, or Brazil variant, which has become a cause for concern because it is thought to be much more contagious. It is thought to have emerged in Amazonas state in November 2020, spreading quickly in the state capital Manaus, where it accounted for 73% of cases by January 2021, according to figures analysed by researchers in Brazil.

What variants mean for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic - YouTube

What variants mean for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic - YouTube