What Variant, Strain, and Mutation Mean When We Talk About COVID On 2/3/21 at 11:36 AM EST Over a year into the coronavirus pandemic, fears no longer only surround the spread of the virus but also its new forms, or variants. These include B.1.1.7. from the U.K., which was detected in September and became the dominant variant in England, partly prompting a third nationwide lockdown. Early evidence suggests it is more deadly and infectious than past forms of COVID. South Africa's 501Y.V2 or B.1.351 variant, which shares some mutations with the U.K.'s, was first reported in December and is thought to be more infectious than previous types of COVID. Other variants being monitored by scientists include P.1, known as the Brazilian variant, and one from Denmark linked to mink.