Kamil Yousuf
Section Editor
COVID-19 has developed variants in both the United Kingdom and South Africa that are more transmissible than the original strain.
These variants of COVID-19, B117 in the UK and B1351 in South Africa, were both discovered and labeled in November and December 2020 as the original virus strain continued to spread worldwide. These strains spread over 50% faster than the original strain of COVID-19; as a result, the new strains quickly displaced the original strain in their origin countries, with 60% of positive tests in England now attributable to the new strain, according to ABC News.
The UK strain of COVID-19 has now also spread to the United States in 32 states; there are currently 467 reported cases of this strain present. The South African strain, also now present in the US, has only currently been discovered in South Carolina.
Though transmissibility is one factor researchers are aware is being affected by the new strains, vaccine efficacy has also been affected, particularly with the South African variant.
According to the Guardian, studies conducted by Johnson & Johnson and Novavax in South Africa have found their vaccines to be comparatively less effective to the South African strain of the virus, with 50% efficacy for the Novavax vaccine and 57% efficacy for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as opposed to an 89% efficacy for the Novavax vaccine in the UK and 72% efficacy for the J&J vaccine in the US.
However, Johnson & Johnson points out that their vaccine continues to be 89% effective in preventing severe disease even with the new variants.
There are few and inconsistent studies determining whether or not current vaccines, such as the one developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, are effective against the new strains found. Additionally, not enough research has been conducted on the new strains to determine other differences from the original strains.
As of January 29, 2021, two cases of the UK variant of the virus have been found in Tennessee; however, there is no publicly available data that specifies where these cases were found. Additionally, Dyer County currently has 4,976 cases and 87 deaths from the original virus, with similar numbers in surrounding counties.
reutersmedia
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is currently the only vaccine available that only requires one dose as opposed to the two doses required from the Novavax, Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines. Though it is less effective overall than the two-dose COVID-19 vaccines released (95% efficacy for Pfizer/BioNTech as opposed to 72% efficacy for J&J), it is the only vaccine needing only one dose and is as effective as many other one-dose vaccines, such as the flu vaccine.
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