A more contagious and vaccine-resistant variant of COVID-19 was detected in Mississippi on Friday. One person in Harrison County was found to be infected with the B.1.351 variant, which was discovered in South Africa in December and reached the United States in January.
There are currently 181 confirmed cases of the B.1.351 variant in 26 U.S. states and territories.
Scientists are concerned about the variant because clinical trials of the three vaccines approved in the United States show that it offers less protection against B.1.351 than other variants. People who recover from COVID-19 can become infected again if they are exposed to B.1.351, because one of the mutations makes it more difficult to retain antibodies.
Although more information is needed, preliminary studies have shown that despite any small decrease in overall efficacy, the vaccines administered in the US still provide strong protection against the most serious consequences of a COVID-19 infection.
‘It only reinforces our messages how important it is to be vaccinated and protected now. Time is of the essence, ”said Dr. Thomas Dobbs, state health officer, said during a Friday press conference.
Dobbs also encouraged Mississippians to continue to take preventative measures such as masking in public, as limiting the spread of the community is the best way to prevent new tribes from gaining significant foothold in the state.
As variants of variants in the United States continue to increase, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is drawing up a plan to update vaccines if necessary. This could include the development of a third booster shot by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech for their vaccines.
B.1.351 is the second variant of COVID-19 to reach Mississippi. Ten cases of the British variant, B.1.1.7, have been confirmed in the state since mid-February. Preliminary studies in Britain have found that this variant is 30-50% more contagious and about 55% more deadly than the original strain COVID-19.
In Mississippi, 627,922 people – 21% of the state’s population – received at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. More than 350,000 people have been fully vaccinated since the state began distributing vaccines in December.