Second new coronavirus variant worries health experts. Here’s what we know.
MANZI Desire · Reporter/Producer Sat, January 9, 2021, 2:04 AM GMT+2 Another coronavirus variant that shares some of the same mutations as the B.1.1.7 strain, first identified in the U.K., has begun spreading rapidly after it was first identified in South Africa in mid-December. It has quickly become the predominant variant there, but it has also gained a foothold in other countries, including Brazil, which is experiencing a surge of COVID-19 cases. The new strain, designated 501Y.V2, emerged independently from the U.K. variant, but they both share a few mutations in common, including one that seems to make both these variants more infectious. However, there’s no evidence yet suggesting that they cause more severe disease. So far, the South African variant has not been detected in the U.S., but top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told Newsweek that he would be surprised if it were not already here, noting that because of international travel, "sooner ...