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Recently, global media has been abuzz with news and speculation about a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.
The variant, which researchers first identified in the U.K., is called B.1.1.7, though as scientists began to express concern about it, initial U.K. government documents dubbed it VUI – 202012/01, standing for “the first variant under investigation in December 2020.”
Later government documents from December designated it as a “variant of concern,” and referred to it as VOC 202012/01.
B.1.1.7 was
first spotted in the U.K. in September 2020. It began to draw attention from the scientific community and governmental authorities in early December, when the U.K. health secretary, Matt Hancock, suggested that it was spreading fast and likely contributing to the rising number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the South of England.
A new study finds that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is likely effective against new variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Mutations to the spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 have concerned researchers because COVID-19 vaccines are designed to identify and go after the viral spike protein.
Researchers suspect that as long as COVID-19 is spreading readily, more mutations will come.
All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.
New evidence suggests that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will likely be effective against the variants of the coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
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Pfizer and Moderna are testing their COVID-19 vaccines against various coronavirus mutations that could lessen their effectiveness. Preliminary data shows the Pfizer-BioNTech shot protects against key mutations, including on in the United Kingdom variant.