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New variants raise worry about COVID-19 virus reinfections | 2021/02/09

Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants. People also can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time, new research suggests.

Should I be concerned about COVID-19 variants? Experts break it down TODAY 2/4/2021 © Provided by TODAY Over the past few months, new variants of the virus known as SARS-CoV-2 have started to emerge from the U.K. to South Africa and Brazil. Now, scientists are finding that the virus has changed in ways that may affect its ability to spread, potentially resulting in more cases of COVID-19. Johnson & Johnson announced Friday that its single shot vaccine is effective in preventing moderate to severe illness but is less effective against the South African variant of the virus. Moderna and Pfi...

What we know so far about COVID-19 variants worldwide © Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images, FILE Scientists around the world are on the lookout for new COVID-19 variants, which are caused by mutations of the virus when its replication machinery makes an error. Experts say these mutations and the new variants are normal and to be expected. In recent months, so-called variants of concern have been identified in the U.K., South Africa, Brazil and in the U.S. And it's not a coincidence they're appearing in these countries, which have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of COVID-19 cases.

UK variant (B.1.1.7) The U.K. variant was one of the first identified "variants of concern." It's estimated to have first emerged in September, and it quickly gained a foothold, spreading like wildfire throughout the U.K. and then other parts of the world. At least 293 cases have been reported in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said the actual tally probably exceeds that. There's good evidence this variant is more transmissible, spreading more easily and more quickly. This increased transmissibility is believed to be due to mutations in the spike p...