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Global coronavirus cases topped 100 million on Wednesday as countries battle new ones variants virus and a limited supply of vaccines.
The countries most affected are the United States, India, Brazil and those in Europe. More than 2.1 million people have died from COVID-19, according to information from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Center.
At present, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there is no evidence that the new coronavirus variants cause more serious illness or an increased risk of death.
However, the CDC adds that scientists are still struggling to understand how easily the new forms might spread. They also want to know if they can cause more serious illness or if currently approved vaccines will protect people from it.
Three of the new coronavirus variants came from three countries: Britain, South Africa and Brazil.
B.1.1.7 UK variant
In Britain, a variant of the coronavirus known as B.1.1.7 was first recognized in September 2020. It has quickly spread across southern Britain, including London. It has since spread throughout Europe, the United States and Canada.
Health organizations claim that this variant spreads easier and faster than others. But there is no evidence that it causes more serious illness or an increased risk of death.
South Africa’s 501Y.V2 variant
In South Africa, another variant called 501Y.V2 was found in early October. There have been cases caused by this variant in 20 countries including Australia and Canada, but not in the United States
The variant is also known as B.1.351 and shares some genetic changes similar to that of Great Britain. Scientists are concerned that the antibodies of a small number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 or received a vaccine will be less effective against this variant.
Variant P.1 from Brazil
The variant of the P.1 coronavirus was first identified in four travelers from Brazil who were tested at Haneda Airport near Tokyo in January. The variant, however, could have existed much earlier in Brazil and spread to many countries, including Germany and South Korea. This week, the United States also confirmed its first case of the variant in Minnesota.
The CDC says early evidence shows that antibodies from a coronavirus infection or vaccine may not have the ability to recognize the P.1 variant.
What are the causes of the variants?
Like other viruses, the CDC says SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is constantly evolving and constantly changing. Sometimes new variants appear and disappear. Other times, new variants appear and spread to many countries.
Daniel Rhoads is a microbiologist and pathologist at the Cleveland Clinic. He said: “While this is concerning, it’s not really surprising – we’ve been watching this and we’re more or less expecting it.”
Earlier in the pandemic, other variants including D614G and L452R appeared. However, the new variants are now gaining attention as they seem to spread more easily and quickly, which can lead to more cases of COVID-19. Another concern is whether approved vaccines like those from Pfizer and BioNTech or Moderna might be effective against them.
Caitlin Rivers is an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. She told The Associated Press, “I’m afraid the variants are throwing a snowball at us.” This means that the variant could present an unexpected and difficult problem.
Senior US government infectious disease specialist Dr Anthony Fauci said scientists were studying vaccine measures to deal with the new variants.
Moderna announced on Monday that she was testing a new booster of its vaccine against the new variants. Pfizer, which makes a similar COVID-19 vaccine, said its study shows the vaccine to be effective against the variant in Britain, but questions remain about those found in South Africa and Brazil.
U.S. drugmaker Johnson and Johnson plans to report on its vaccine study next week. Late-stage trials take place in the United States, South Africa, and Brazil. Scientists expect the results to show how well it works against the newer variants.
What can be done?
The CDC says it is working with other public health agencies to monitor the situation closely and to look for new variants of COVID-19. It also has field workers to study and investigate the new variants.
The health agency says increasing public health measures such as immunizations, physical distancing, the use of fabric coverings and hand washing will help limit the spread of the new variants.
On Tuesday, the United States announced it had banned travelers from Europe, Britain, Brazil, Ireland and South Africa. Other countries on the shortlist include China and Iran.
In Europe, Belgium has banned all non-essential travel until March. And France could soon begin a third lockdown if its daily 12-hour curfew does not slow the spread of new infections.
I am Mario Ritter, Jr. and I am Jonathan Evans.
Hai Do wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.
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Words in this story
variant -NOT. something that is different in some ways from others of the same genre
booster -NOT. an extra amount of medicine or vaccine that increases resistance to the disease
monitor –V. watching or observing carefully over time for a particular purpose
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