Global cases of coronavirus passed 100 million on Wednesday as countries struggle with new variant of the virus and a limited amount of vaccine.
The countries worst affected include the United States, India, Brazil and the countries in Europe. More than 2.1 million people have died from COVID-19, based on information from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Center.
Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) says there is no evidence that new coronavirus variants cause serious illness or increased risk of death.
However, the CDC adds that scientists are still trying to understand how easily the new forms can spread. They also want to find out if it can cause serious diseases and if the vaccines currently approved will protect people against it.
Three of the new coronavirus variants have been found to come from three countries: Britain, South Africa and Brazil.
B.1.1.7 variant from Britain
In Britain, a coronavirus variant known as B.1.1.7 was first recognized in September 2020. It spread rapidly in the south of Britain, including London. It has since spread throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada.
Health organizations say that this variant spreads easier and faster than others. But there is no evidence that it causes serious illness or 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 of this variant in 20 countries, including Australia and Canada, but not in the US
The variant is also known as B.1.351 and shares genetic changes similar to those in Britain. Scientists are concerned that antibodies from a small number of people who recovered from COVID-19 or received a vaccine were less effective against this variant.
P.1 variant from Brazil
The P.1 coronavirus variant was first identified in four Brazilian travelers tested at Haneda Airport outside Tokyo in January. However, the variant could have been in Brazil much earlier and spread to many countries, including Germany and South Korea. This week, the US also confirmed its first case of the variant in Minnesota.
The CDC says early evidence shows that antibodies to a coronavirus infection or vaccine do not have the ability to recognize the P.1 variant.
What causes the variants?
As with other viruses, the CDC says that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, has always changed and always has. Sometimes new variants appear and disappear. Other times new variants appear that are spread across many countries.
Daniel Rhoads is a microbiologist and pathologist at the Cleveland Clinic. He said: “While it’s worrying, it’s not really surprising – we’ve been looking at this and more or less expecting it.”
Earlier in the pandemic, other variants appeared, including D614G and L452R. However, the new variant is now getting attention because it seems to be spreading easier and faster, which could lead to more cases of COVID-19. Another concern is whether approved vaccines such as those from Pfizer and BioNTech or Moderna can be effective against it.
Caitlin Rivers is an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. She told the Associated Press: “I’m worried the variant could give us a bow ball.” This means that the variant can present an unexpected and difficult problem.
The U.S. government’s leading expert in infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said scientists were studying the vaccine measures to deal with the new variant.
Moderna announced Monday that it is testing a supplement booster of the vaccine against the new variants. Pfizer, which makes a similar COVID-19 vaccine, said the study shows that the shot is effective against the variant in Britain, but there are still questions about those found in South Africa and Brazil.
U.S. drugmaker Johnson and Johnson plan to report his vaccination study next week. The late phase trials are being held in the United States, South Africa and Brazil. Scientists expect the results to show how well it works against the new variants.
What can be done?
The CDC says it is working with other public health agencies to monitor the situation carefully and to look for new COVID-19 variants. There are also workers on the ground to study and investigate the new variants.
The health agency recommends that increasing measures for public health, such as vaccination, physical distance, the use of cloth covers and hand washing, will help limit the spread of the new variants.
The US announced on Tuesday that it has banned travelers from Europe, Britain, Brazil, Ireland and South Africa. Other countries on the limited list include China and Iran.
In Europe, Belgium banned all unimportant travel until March. And France could soon start with a third exclusion if its 12-hour daily evening clock does not slow down the spread of new infections.
I’m Mario Ritter, jr. And I’m 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 -A. something that is in some ways different from others of the same kind
booster -A. an extra amount of medicine or vaccine that increases disease resistance
monitor –V. to keep a close eye on or observe for a special purpose over time
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