Since it was discovered in December 2019, COVID-19 has infected more than 112 million people worldwide and lead to more than 2.4 million deaths. Daily new cases peaked at 845,267 on January 8, 2021, but were consistently under 500,000 per day from February 1 to 22. While this, in combination with vaccine distribution, is a promising sign for the potential end of the pandemic, variants of the virus have been discovered in multiple countries. The following is a breakdown of these variants.
United Kingdom Variant (B.1.1.7)
The most concerning of the four discovered variants originated in the United Kingdom and has since spread to more than 50 countries. The variant has 23 mutations, many of which are in the spikelike S protein, and it may be connected to an increased risk of death, but additional research is required. It is transmitted in the same way as the original COVID-19 virus but spreads at a faster rate.
"The variants that have been identified recently seem to spread more easily," confirmed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. "They're more transmissible, which can lead to increased number of cases, and increased stress on our already overtaxed system."
South Africa Variant (B.1.351)
The South Africa variant, B.1.351, also has several mutations in the S protein and spreads quicker than the original virus, but there is no evidence to suggest it might be more lethal. It has spread to more than 30 countries, according to the World Health Organization, and was first reported in the US in February 2021. There's concern that this variant could be more difficult to kill via immunization as it continues to evolve and mutate. Both Moderna and Pfizer are developing booster vaccines to target mutant versions of COVID-19.
Brazil Variant (P1)
In January 2021, a variant of the virus first spotted in Brazil was detected in Minnesota. It has 17 mutations and is potentially less vulnerable to antibodies from prior COVID-19 infections or the vaccine. While there has been no sign of community spread in the US, it was found in more than 40 percent of specimens collected in Manaus, Brazil, and has also been detected in Japan.
It is expected that more variants will emerge as the virus continues to mutate. While concerning, this isn't unexpected, and scientists are closely tracking changes to effectively combat the virus. Experts claim that, even in a worst-case scenario, vaccines can be altered within weeks or months to be more effective against these new variants.