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UK health authorities have identified 77 cases of the highly infectious B.1.617 <keyword id="396427" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="variant">variant</keyword> of coronavirus which causes COVID-19, first found in India, and has designated it a Variant Under Investigation (VUI). Public Health England (<keyword id="265185" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PHE">PHE</keyword>), which releases weekly updates on the <keyword id="6384751" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="number">number</keyword> of confirmed new cases of Variants of Concern (VOC) and VUI in the UK, reported on Thursday that the variant first detected in India includes a number of mutations. "A new variant has been designated a Variant Under Investigation (VUI) by PHE. The variant, first detected in India, includes a number of mutations including E484Q, L452R, and P681R," the PHE weekly report said. "PHE has identified 77 cases of this variant in the UK and all appropriate public health interventions will be undertaken, including enhanced contact tracing. This variant has been designated VUI-21APR-01. PHE and international partners continue to monitor the situation closely," it said. The B.1.617 strain's mutations are feared to make the variant spread faster and partially evade immunity. The variant is believed to be largely responsible for India's current second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with infection rates and hospitalisations on the rise once again. It also led to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson deciding to shorten the length of his India visit later this month, with the bulk of the events now expected to be limited to a day-long packed schedule on April 26. "We have been in close contact with the Indian government about the Prime Minister's upcoming visit in light of the COVID-19 situation in India. As a result of these discussions the Prime Minister has made the decision to reduce the length of the visit, due to take place at the end of this month, to a shorter programme in New Delhi," the UK PM's spokesperson at 10 Downing Street said. India at present is not on the "red list" of countries, which involves more stringent hotel-based quarantine requirements for travellers commuting between India and the UK. If further concerns emerge around the Indian B.1.617 variant in the UK, it could be categorised from a Variant Under Investigation to a Variant of Concern. The latest addition brings the total number of variants detected in the UK to 56, including the so-called <keyword id="92486" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kent">Kent</keyword> variant and South African strains which is top of the UK's concerns. The PHE said that the dominant variant in the country continues to be VOC-20DEC-01 B.1.1.7, or the Kent variant, which is being monitored closely. "The best way to stop the spread of the virus is to remember: hands, face, space and follow the restrictions in place," the PHE said. Earlier this week, people living in four boroughs in south London were urged to get tested as part of a surge testing drive after cases of the South African variant were found in Wandsworth, Lambeth, <keyword id="1775562" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Barnet">Barnet</keyword> and Southwark. It comes as all parts of the United Kingdom began easing lockdown restrictions gradually this week, with non-essential retail shops, hairdressers and outdoor-serving restaurants among the businesses allowed to operate once again after months of lockdown. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/check-out-covid-19-vaccine-distribution-across-states-in-india-in-four-charts/slidelist/82100394.cms">Four charts show how COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed in India</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/watch-crystal-clear-hd-video-of-nasa-astronauts-walking-in-space/articleshow/82099944.cms">WATCH: Crystal clear footage of NASA astronauts walking in space, changing out pipes, installing cameras and much more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/pakistan-shut-down-facebook-twitter-youtube-whatsapp-and-other-social-media-website/articleshow/82100703.cms">Pakistan temporarily shuts down social media amid anti-France protests</a>

77 cases of Indian COVID-19 variant found in the UK

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dr. Anthony <keyword id="3540587" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="fauci">Fauci</keyword> on Tuesday warned about the highly infectious Delta <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> <keyword id="396427" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="variant">variant</keyword>.</li><li>The variant has spread widely in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> and the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>. "We cannot let that happen" in the US, he said.</li><li>Fauci said getting two doses of COVID-19 vaccines would stop the Delta variant from spreading.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant</a> could become the dominant strain in the US if people don't get fully vaccinated, the US's top infectious-disease expert has warned.Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical advisor, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2021-06-08/fauci-warns-of-harmful-covid-19-delta-variant-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said Tuesday</a> that the Delta variant had rapidly emerged as the dominant variant in the UK, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replacing the Alpha variant</a>."We cannot let that happen in the United States," Fauci said during a White House press briefing.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-mrna-covid-drug-treatment-future-of-medicine-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Experts explain why the mRNA tech that revolutionized COVID-19 vaccines could be the answer to incurable diseases, heart attacks, and even snake bites: 'The possibilities are endless'</a>The Delta variant is thought to have caused <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-coronavirus-variant-more-transmissible-who-says-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">record-breaking infection numbers in India</a>, where it was first identified. A surge in coronavirus infections brought India's <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> system <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-hospitals-run-out-of-oxygen-amid-covid-19-surge-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">near collapse</a> in the spring.The Delta variant accounts for more than 6% of sequenced tests in the US and 60% of infections in the UK, Fauci said. The actual figures could be different, as not every test is sequenced. The highest rates of transmission in the UK are people ages 12 to 22, he said - a mostly unvaccinated age group.Fauci urged Americans to get vaccinated to stop the Delta variant from spreading further in the US."Particularly if you had that first dose, make sure you get that second dose. If not, please get vaccinated," Fauci said in a briefing.The Alpha variant, first identified in the UK, is currently the most common virus strain in the US.The Delta variant is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least as infectious as the Alpha variant</a> and has now spread to more than 60 countries. It also has extra mutations that may allow it to escape the antibody response - a part of the immune system that fights the virus - so vaccines appear to offer less protection against it when just one dose is given.A UK-based study <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-variant-pfizer-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-one-shot-effectiveness-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted on May 24</a> found that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> was 88% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant after two doses but only 33% effective after a single dose.Another lab-based study from the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-antibody-response-variant-lab-study-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK posted Thursday</a> found that the antibody response was "significantly lower" against the Delta variant compared with the Alpha variant after one dose.The Biden administration is trying to give <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-can-prevent-covid-surge-with-vaccines-anthony-fauci-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 75% of the US population</a> at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July 4 to try to stop another surge in infections. So far, more than 51% of Americans have had at least one dose, and more than 42% are fully vaccinated, <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>.

Fauci warns that the Delta coronavirus variant, first found in India, could take over in the US if people don't get their shots

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Doctors in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> say <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> patients have unusual <keyword id="44308" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Symptoms">symptoms</keyword> that could be due to the <keyword id="6383835" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="delta">Delta</keyword> variant.</li><li>They include gangrene and hearing loss.</li><li>There aren't enough sequencing tests sent to labs to know if these are unique to the Delta variant.</li></ul>Doctors in India claim that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly infectious Delta variant</a> could cause unusual symptoms such as gangrene and hearing loss, which they say are becoming more common in COVID-19 patients of all ages.Alarming details of the symptoms were <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-07/gangrene-hearing-loss-point-to-delta-variant-being-more-severe">reported by Bloomberg</a> on June 7 and followed up by <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9661367/Coronavirus-Doctors-India-claim-new-Covid-variant-giving-people-gangrene-hearing-loss.html">the Daily Mail</a> and <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/new-symptoms-linked-delta-variant-24274465">Daily Mirror</a> in the UK, where the Delta variant now accounts for 91% of new COVID cases.The highly infectious variant has spread to 67 countries and is becoming more common around the world. But, with fewer cases in India sequenced, there isn't enough data to know for sure whether the symptoms are unique to the variant, or are caused by COVID more generally, which has already been linked to unusual symptoms such as diarrhea and blood circulation issues.The Delta variant is estimated to be 60% more infectious than the Alpha variant that's currently the most common in the US. It also has mutations that mean it can partially avoid the immune response.Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical advisor, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-variant-covid-coronavirus-india-fauci-second-shot-dose-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned last week </a>that the fast-spreading Delta variant could take hold in the US, if more Americans didn't get their COVID-19 shots. A <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1346#:~:text=Covid%2D19%3A%20Single%20vaccine%20dose,India%2C%20data%20show%20%7C%20The%20BMJ">Public Health England document from May</a> reported the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were respectively 88% and 60% effective against the Delta variant after both doses.Dr. Ganesh Manudhane, consultant cardiologist at Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai, told Insider that he used to see four patients a year who had small blood clots causing gangrene, a serious condition where a loss of blood supply causes body tissue to die. Now it's one person every week, he said."I suspect it could be because of the Delta variant, because of the increased number of cases," Manudhane said - but he added that he hadn't genetically sequenced the patient's <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> tests to check for the Delta variant, which has become the most common COVID variant in the country since first being identified there in October.Dr. Abdul Ghafur, infectious disease consultant at Apollo Hospital in Chennai told Insider that he had experienced far more cases of people with COVID-19 presenting with diarrhea than in the first wave in 2020.But "all of the inferences from local doctors across the country were based on their clinical experience and not on any published data," he said.It isn't clear how many people in India are infected with Delta compared with other <keyword id="112799" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="variants">variants</keyword>. It is one of three similar virus strains that all originated in India.Some statistics group these three together, and not all positive coronavirus tests are sequenced in the lab to check for variants. As of April, 0.75% of all India's cases were sequenced, according to a report in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01427-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature</a>. The country has had 29.45 million recorded cases since the pandemic began.This lack of data is holding back doctor's understanding of the variant.Ghafur added that "despite having the second highest number of [COVID-19] patients in the world, India's premier research institute, the Indian Council of Medical Research, hadn't conducted any scientific studies of value." Anurag Agarwal, director at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in Delhi, told Insider that there was no clear link between the Delta variant and atypical symptoms.Agarwal said the rise in people with atypical symptoms may be because of the increases in overall COVID cases in India, rather than the rise of the Delta variant.Neil Ferguson, director at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London, explained at a briefing in the UK on Wednesday that, when a large number of people get sick, there can be a spectrum of rare conditions that aren't typical at all.Dr Jeffery Barrett, director at the COVID-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK said at the same briefing that the UK processes up to 20,000 tests each week.INSACOG, a group of research labs that conducts India's sequencing, said it had sequenced more than 10,000 samples since it was set up in December.Barrett told the briefing there was no data to suggest the Delta variants caused different symptoms to other variants.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-mrna-covid-drug-treatment-future-of-medicine-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Experts explain why the mRNA tech that revolutionized COVID-19 vaccines could be the answer to incurable diseases, heart attacks, and even snake bites: 'The possibilities are endless'</a><div type="image" title="free covid test india" height="1468" width="1957" msid="83509721" hostid="261"></div><h2>Black fungus</h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-covid-19-patients-are-developing-deadly-fungal-infections-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black fungus</a> isn't a symptom of coronavirus but a complication that occurs <a href="https://www.insider.com/indias-covid-crisis-compounded-by-black-fungus-epidemic-spreading-hospitals-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during the weeks after infection.</a> Doctors in India have anecdotally associated it with the Delta variant.Dr. Harsh Vardhan, India's <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> minister, said Monday that there were more than 28,000 recorded cases of black fungus infection that occurs in people with compromised immunity or diabetes. Of these, 86% had had COVID-19. The link between black fungus and suppressed immunity or diabetes is not proven - but it's been suggested the high numbers of both in India could explain the number of cases of it.Ghafur said he believed the Delta variant was most likely the cause of the rise in black fungus cases."India has always been the diabetes capital of the world and use of [immune system suppressing] steroids was rampant in the first wave,'' Ghafur told Insider. "The only difference this time is the Delta variant."Dr Shailesh Kothalkar, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon at Seven Star Hospital in the western city of Nagpur, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/indias-black-fungus-wards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Telegraph</a> that the Delta variant was "causing damage to the beta cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin and regulate blood glucose levels.""We need more investigation into this but [...] around 40% more patients are developing diabetes after having COVID-19 during this second wave," he said.Professor David Denning, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Manchester and chief executive of the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections told the Telegraph: "It's possible that a different variant would produce more disruption of the lining of the nose or the lungs… and then that would allow fungus to get in more easily." "But it's a bit tenuous," he said.

Doctors in India are reporting COVID-19 patients with gangrene, hearing loss, and diarrhea - but there's not enough data to prove they're caused by the Delta variant

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Delta variant has taken over in the UK where the most common symptom reported is now a headache.</li><li>Most people who are getting COVID-19 in the UK are quite young, and not fully vaccinated.</li><li>Health experts are worried Delta could hit less vaccinated areas of the US very hard.</li></ul>The Delta variant first identified in India has taken over in the UK, where it's now responsible for over 95% of infections. Delta's also coming for the US fast, already accounting for <a href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&amp;id=67605c240e&amp;e=952ab3d4672ab3d467">more than 20% of sequenced cases, with a doubling time of about two weeks</a>.But King's College epidemiologist Tim Spector says don't be surprised if it shows up with different COVID-19 symptoms than those we've come to expect.<a href="https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/new-top-5-covid-symptoms">His latest research suggests</a> that a headache and a runny nose are now two of the leading indicators of a COVID-19 infection across the UK, especially among the young and the partially vaccinated. Spector's research draws on daily illness data from more than a million people across the UK, who log into his <a href="https://covid.joinzoe.com/">ZOE app every day</a> and report on how they're feeling. ZOE's research suggests about 19,000 people in the UK now catch COVID-19 every day. Most of them are young, and most are also not fully vaccinated. "It's evolved to be more infectious, which is what many viruses do," Spector said, noting that the Delta variant may be roughly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHBua3aXQ7c&amp;t=48s=48s">twice as infectious as</a> its early predecessors, with each person who catches it transmitting to about six others."There's no hard evidence yet that it's more lethal or fatal, but because of that extra stickiness, it's going to still keep breaking through," he said.<h2>Milder symptoms</h2><div type="image" title="daily new cases of COVID in the UK by vaccination status, with unvaccinated infections increasing" height="472" width="637" msid="83789743" hostid="261"></div>According to ZOE's latest data, from June 19, the COVID-19 case rate in the UK is now highest in the 20 to 29 age group."We're seeing this mainly in young people who are unvaccinated, they are three quarters of the cases," Spector said. "There's hardly anyone who's over 60 who's getting it without a vaccine."Most of the people who test positive for COVID-19 in the UK are also weathering the traditional signs of a bad cold - headaches, runny noses, and sore throats - rather than the earlier tell-tale COVID-19 symptoms: shortness of breath or loss of taste.It's tough to know, though, if the Delta variant is truly becoming a milder disease, or if this is just how COVID-19 presents among the young, the healthy, and those with vaccine protection."Our hope is it'll get milder," Spector said. "So it will just become like a cold."<div type="image" title="daily prevalence rates by age group for COVID-19 in the UK, with the 20-29 age group skyrocketing" height="488" width="610" msid="83789746" hostid="261"></div> <h2>The 'most able and fastest and fittest' variant</h2>Disease watchers at the World Health Organization agree with Spector - yet another reason to get more of the world's most vulnerable people vaccinated fast."The Delta variant is the most able, and fastest, and fittest," Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's health emergencies program, <a href="https://www.who.int/multi-media/details/who-press-conference-on-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)---21-june-2021#">said on Monday</a>, stressing that vaccines are still "<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.22.21257658v1">highly protective against hospitalization and death</a>," even with <keyword id="112799" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="variants">variants</keyword> in play. "This particular Delta variant is faster, it is fitter, it will pick off the more vulnerable more efficiently than previous variants," Ryan said. "And we can protect those people now."In the UK, <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/2021/06/four-in-five-adults-have-now-received-their-first-vaccine/">nearly three quarters of adults</a> have had both COVID-19 shots, giving them strong armor against severe COVID-19 disease and death. But so far <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/COVID-Press-Briefing_22June2021_for-transcript.pdf">only 16 US states have gotten 70% of adults</a> any vaccine protection."This virus isn't going to give up easily." Spector said. "I don't think we can be too complacent, particularly in areas of the US that have high non-vaccination rates."CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stressed in a White House COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday that "nearly every death" from COVID-19 in the US is now preventable. But time could be running out to ramp up protection, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-variants-called-escape-mutants-could-throw-us-back-into-lockdown-2021-5">the race with increasingly fitter variants</a> is not over.

The top Delta variant symptoms reported in the UK are a runny nose and headache - because most people affected are very young or partially vaccinated

New York, Drugmakers Pfizer and <keyword id="3124139" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BioNTech">BioNTech</keyword> have said that their <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">Covid-19 vaccine</keyword> has been found in laboratory studies to work against <keyword id="2987267" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-variants">new variants</keyword> first identified in the UK and South Africa. The results were published on the preprint server bioRxiv and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. "While these findings do not indicate the need for a new vaccine to address the emerging <keyword id="112799" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="variants">variants</keyword>, the companies are prepared to respond if a variant of SARS-CoV-2 demonstrates evidence of escaping immunity by the Covid-19 vaccine," Pfizer and BioNTech said in a statement on Wednesday. To study the effect of these mutations, three engineered viruses with key mutations were tested against the panel of human sera from 20 participants in the previously reported Phase 3 trial who had been immunized with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The sera from individuals vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine neutralised all the SARS-CoV-2 strains tested, showed the study. Neutralisation against the virus with the three key mutations present in the South African variant was slightly lower when compared to neutralisation of virus containing the other mutations that were evaluated, the results showed. However, the the two companies believe the small differences in viral neutralisation observed in these studies are unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the vaccine. "Pfizer and BioNTech are encouraged by these early in vitro study findings and are currently evaluating the full set of mutations in the spike protein of the South African variant," the two companies said, adding that the flexibility of BioNTech's proprietary mRNA vaccine platform is well suited to develop new vaccine variants if required. Earlier this week, <keyword id="4912868" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="moderna">Moderna</keyword> said that its two-dose regimen of the Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be protective against emerging strains detected to date Moderna said it is also working on a Covid-19 booster shot to protect against a new variant first identified in South Africa. A study carried by bioRxiv also showed that <keyword id="9485939" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="covaxin">Covaxin</keyword>, the Covid vaccine developed by <keyword id="149108" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Biotech">Bharat Biotech</keyword> in <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, effectively neutralises UK variants of SARS-CoV-2 reducing the possibility of mutant virus escape. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/indian-grooming-startup-bombay-shaving-company-gets-45-crore-investment-from-dettol-maker-reckitt-benckiser/articleshow/80491558.cms">Indian grooming startup Bombay Shaving Company gets ₹45 crore investment from Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/india-needs-to-add-massive-amount-of-solar-and-wind-power-capacity-this-year-to-meet-its-first-target/articleshow/80496138.cms">India needs to add massive amount of solar and wind power capacity this year to meet its first target</a>

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will work against UK and South Africa's variants, says study

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="44612" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pfizer">Pfizer</keyword>'s vaccine worked against five <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> variants in the first lab study to directly compare them.</li><li>It added more evidence that both doses may be needed to protect against emerging variants.</li><li>Most people who get two doses would be protected against the <keyword id="396427" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="variant">variant</keyword> initially from India, the researchers said.</li></ul>A leading UK expert has said it's "critical" that people get two doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to protect against <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emerging variants</a>, after a lab study found the shot produced the lowest antibody response against the variant from India, especially after one dose.Professor Deborah Dunn-Walters, chair of the British Society for Immunology COVID-19 Taskforce, <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-research-letter-looking-at-blood-neutralising-antibody-levels-from-people-vaccinated-with-one-or-two-doses-of-the-pfizer-vaccine-against-different-variants-of-sars-cov-2-including/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a> Friday that the new information in the Lancet letter showed that two doses of Pfizer's vaccine are "critical for protection" against emerging strains of the virus.Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and the National Institute for <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword> Research (NIHR) said in a letter to <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(21)01290-3.pdf">the Lancet medical journal on Thursday</a> that Pfizer-BioNTechs's vaccine worked in a lab experiment to some extent against all five variants.But the researchers found that the antibody response, a part of the immune system that fights the virus, was "significantly lower" against the Delta variant first found in India, relative to the Alpha variant first found in the UK after one dose - the variant that's been<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-director-says-uk-covid-19-variant-dominant-strain-us-2021-4"> most common in the US</a> since early April."Although a single dose might still afford considerably more protection than no vaccination, single-dose recipients are likely to be less protected against these SARS-CoV-2 variants," they said, referring to the Delta variant from India and the Beta variant from South Africa, which also had a relatively reduced antibody response.The Delta variant first found in India is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">known to have mutations</a> that can help it to avoid the antibody response and is more infectious. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/confirmed-cases-of-covid-19-variants-identified-in-uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Public Health England</a> said on Thursday that it had overtaken the Alpha variant first found in the UK, and is now dominant in the country. In the US, the Delta variant from India accounts for less than 2% of sequenced cases in the US,<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcases-updates%2Fvariant-proportions.html#variant-proportions"> according to the CDC</a>.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-mrna-covid-drug-treatment-future-of-medicine-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Experts explain why the mRNA tech that revolutionized COVID-19 vaccines could be the answer to incurable diseases, heart attacks, and even snake bites: 'The possibilities are endless'</a><h2>Testing antibody responses </h2>The researchers tested Pfizer's vaccine against five different variants: the original virus, an un-named variant circulating in the UK, the Delta variant first found in India, the Beta variant first found in South Africa and the Alpha variant first found in the UK.The scientists compared the number of antibodies in the blood samples of people who'd been immunized with Pfizer's shot and administered the variants to them - 149 volunteers had received a single dose on average 30 days before, and about 159 had had two doses 28 days prior.They also found that after two doses, the antibody response was five to eight times lower against the Delta variant first found in India, compared with the original coronavirus. For comparison, the antibody response against the Alpha variant, first found in the UK was about two times lower, compared with the original virus, they said.But antibodies are just one aspect of the immune system, and it's not clear from the lab tests how much protection Pfizer's vaccine will provide against each of the variants in real-life.<h2>Why 2 doses may be key to preventing infection from emerging variants</h2>The scientists writing to the Lancet said that they expected most people who get two doses of Pfizer's vaccine would be protected against an infection caused by the Delta variant. But it remained difficult to assess precisely to what extent the reduction in antibodies would impact how well vaccines work, they said.Adam Finn, professor of pediatrics, University of Bristol, agreed. Finn <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-research-letter-looking-at-blood-neutralising-antibody-levels-from-people-vaccinated-with-one-or-two-doses-of-the-pfizer-vaccine-against-different-variants-of-sars-cov-2-including/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a> on Friday that the group used a newly developed lab system to measure the antibody response."We do not know very much about how well it predicts protection against infection or mild or severe disease. Consequently, the exact importance of these results is uncertain," he said.The UK pioneered a strategy of delaying the length of time between doses from three weeks to 12 in December.But, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-than-20-million-uk-adults-receive-both-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on May 16, </a>the government brought forward second-dose appointments for Brits over 50 years-old or with underlying health conditions from 12 to 8 weeks to "ensure the strongest possible protection against the virus," as the number of infections with the Delta variant first found in India rose.

There's more evidence that getting both doses of Pfizer's vaccine may be 'critical' to protecting against emerging variants

<keyword id="6355838" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-york">New York</keyword>, US-based biotechnology company <keyword id="323030" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Novavax">Novavax</keyword> on Friday announced that its <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">Covid-19 vaccine</keyword> was 89.3% effective in preventing <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword> in a <keyword id="42907" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="trial">trial</keyword> conducted in the UK. The <keyword id="6355244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="study">study</keyword> assessed efficacy of the vaccine -- NVX-CoV2373 -- during a period with high transmission and with a new UK variant strain of the virus emerging and circulating widely. "NVX-CoV2373 has the potential to play an important role in solving this global public health crisis. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners, collaborators, investigators and regulators around the world to make the vaccine available as quickly as possible," Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax, said in a statement. The biotech company also announced results of its Phase 2b study conducted in South Africa. In the South Africa Phase 2b clinical trial, 60% efficacy for the prevention of mild, moderate and severe Covid-19 disease was observed in the 94% of the study population that was HIV-negative. "The 60% reduced risk against Covid-19 illness in vaccinated individuals in South Africans underscores the value of this vaccine to prevent illness from the highly worrisome variant currently circulating in South Africa, and which is spreading globally," said Shabir Maddi, principal investigator in the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trial in South Africa. In 2020, Novavax had announced its deal with Pune-based vaccine manufacturing company Serum Institute of India (SII) in order to produce 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines. The UK study enrolled more than 15,000 participants between 18-84 years of age, including 27 per cent over the age of 65. The primary endpoint of the UK Phase 3 clinical trial is based on the first occurrence of PCR-confirmed symptomatic (mild, moderate or severe) Covid-19 with onset at least 7 days after the second study vaccination in serologically negative (to SARS-CoV-2) adult participants at baseline. The first interim analysis is based on 62 cases, of which 56 cases of Covid-19 were observed in the placebo group versus 6 cases observed in the NVX-CoV2373 group, resulting in a point estimate of vaccine efficacy of 89.3 per cent. Of the 62 cases, 61 were mild or moderate, and 1 was severe (in placebo group). Preliminary analysis indicates that the UK variant strain that was increasingly prevalent was detected in over 50 per cent of the PCR-confirmed symptomatic cases (32 UK variant, 24 non-variant, 6 unknown). Based on PCR performed on strains from 56 of the 62 cases, efficacy by strain was calculated to be 95.6% against the original Covid-19 strain and 85.6% against the UK variant strain. The interim analysis included a preliminary review of the safety database, which showed that severe, serious, and medically attended adverse events occurred at low levels and were balanced between vaccine and placebo groups. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/priyanka-chopra-jonas-makes-another-tech-investment-this-time-in-us-based-rental-marketplace-apartment-list/articleshow/80554158.cms">Priyanka Chopra Jonas makes another tech investment – this time in US-based rental marketplace Apartment List</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/glee-s-t-january-2021-gst-collection-may-have-beat-the-december-record/articleshow/80512714.cms">Glee.S.T! January 2021 GST collection may have beat the December record</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kavin-mittal-hike-looks-to-hire-computer-science-it-graduates-from-iits-nsit-nits/articleshow/80560643.cms">Kavin Mittal’s Hike looks to hire computer science, IT graduates from IITs, NSIT, NITs</a>

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine found 89.3% effective in UK trials

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="44612" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pfizer">Pfizer</keyword>'s and <keyword id="6409874" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="astrazeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword>'s COVID-19 vaccines seem to work against a variant first found in India.</li><li>A UK study found Pfizer's <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> was 88% effective after two doses and AstraZeneca's was 60%.</li><li>A single dose of either vaccine was 33% effective, highlighting the importance of a second shot.</li></ul>The Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford University-AstraZeneca <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> vaccines are highly effective against the variant first found in India, which is thought to have fueled <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-coronavirus-variant-more-transmissible-who-says-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">record-breaking infection numbers</a> in the country and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-hospitals-run-out-of-oxygen-amid-covid-19-surge-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overwhelmed its healthcare system</a>, new real-world data indicates.The UK study, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vaccines-highly-effective-against-b-1-617-2-variant-after-2-doses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from England's public-health authority</a>, found that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were 88% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 caused by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-variants-uk-south-africa-brazil-us-facts-questions-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the variant</a>, which is called B.1.617.2. Two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine were 60% effective, the study found.The UK has reported more than 4,000 cases of the variant, which has now spread to 49 countries including the US, according to <a href="https://cov-lineages.org/global_report_B.1.617.2.html">Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data</a>. B.1.1.7, a variant first identified in the UK, remains the most common variant both there and in the US.One dose offered far less protection, the Public <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword> England study found. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-vaccine-one-shot-effectiveness-pfizer-moderna-astrazeneca-vaccines-dose-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A single dose</a> of either vaccine was 33% effective against COVID-19 with symptoms caused by B.1.617.2.The study, which was <a href="https://khub.net/documents/135939561/430986542/Effectiveness+of+COVID-19+vaccines+against+the+B.1.617.2+variant.pdf/204c11a4-e02e-11f2-db19-b3664107ac42" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted as a preprint Saturday</a> and is yet to be peer-reviewed by other experts, is the first in the world to indicate that vaccines offer protection against B.1.617.2, which has mutations that make it highly infectious and might also make it able to escape antibodies produced by vaccines.For comparison, two doses of Pfizer's vaccine were 93% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by B.1.1.7, and AstraZeneca's was 66% effective. After one dose, both vaccines were 50% effective against B.1.1.7, the data indicated.UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vaccines-highly-effective-against-b-1-617-2-variant-after-2-doses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday in a press release</a> that the findings were "groundbreaking" and showed the importance of getting a second dose to secure the "strongest possible protection" against coronavirus variants.<h2>2nd shot of Pfizer and AstraZeneca boosted protection</h2>The PHE study adds to a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-dose-astrazeneca-or-pfizer-vaccine-protects-against-covid-19-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing body of real-world evidence</a> that one dose of COVID-19 vaccines provides some protection against the coronavirus and that protection is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-dose-astrazeneca-or-pfizer-vaccine-protects-against-covid-19-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boosted by the second dose</a>. PHE's <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-surveillance-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most recent surveillance report</a>, for example, said a single dose of either Pfizer's or AstraZeneca's vaccine was 55% to 70% effective, rising to between 85% and 90% after two doses.Adam Kucharski, an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamJKucharski/status/1396416400412000256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on Twitter on Sunday</a> that "first and foremost" the study was "another reminder that second doses matter."The amount of protection offered by the vaccines could be more than it seems from the figures, as the PHE researchers did not look at whether the vaccines protected against severe disease caused by variants. COVID-19 vaccines typically offer more protection against these outcomes.The lower efficacy of AstraZeneca's vaccine after two doses, compared with Pfizer's, could be down to the fact that it was given mostly to older people, who tend to have weaker immune responses, the study's authors said.Other data has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-covid-vaccines-delaying-2nd-dose-shot-boost-antibodies-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated that AstraZeneca's vaccine</a> can take longer than Pfizer's to reach maximum effectiveness after the second dose.

The Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against the variant first found in India, but only if you get both doses, real-world data shows

Indian Council of Medical Research (<keyword id="6364396" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICMR">ICMR</keyword>) said on Monday <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">Covid-19 vaccine</keyword> <keyword id="9485939" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="covaxin">Covaxin</keyword> neutralises <keyword id="9380721" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="multiple-variants">multiple variants</keyword> of SARS-CoV-2 and effectively neutralises the double mutant strain as well. ICMR cited the findings of a study carried out by them. Covaxin is developed locally by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd. in collaboration with the ICMR -- the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research. ICMR-National Institute of Virology has successfully isolated and cultured multiple variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 virus: B.1.1.7 (the UK variant), B.1.1.28 (Brazil variant ) and B.1.351 (South Africa variant), said the apex health research body. "ICMR study shows Covaxin neutralises against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 and effectively neutralises the double mutant strain as well," the ICMR said in a tweet. They have also demonstrated the neutralisation potential of Covaxin against the UK variant and Brazil variant. ICMR-NIV recently has been successful in isolating and culturing the double mutant strain B.1.617 SARS-CoV-2 identified in certain regions of India and several other countries. "Covaxin has been found to effectively neutralise the double mutant strain as well," it said. The study was published in the Journal for Travel Medicine in March where it highlighted that Covaxin is effective against the UK variants as well as other strains of Covid-19. "It was reassuring from the PRNT50 data generated in our laboratory that the indigenous BBV152/ COVAXIN, following its roll out in vaccination program, could be expected to work against the new UK-variant," the study said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/facebook-in-the-crosshairs-yet-again-this-time-indias-cybersecurity-agency-issues-an-advisory-to-indian-users/articleshow/82177573.cms">Facebook in the crosshairs yet again – this time, India’s cybersecurity agency issues an advisory to Indian users</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covishield-vaccine-priced-at-400-and-600-for-state-hospitals-and-private-hospitals-respectively/articleshow/82176762.cms">Covishield vaccine priced at ₹400 and ₹600 for state hospitals and private hospitals respectively, to be available in medical stores after 4-5 months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-privacy-oriented-ios-14-5-update-can-impact-on-facebook-ad-revenue/articleshow/82176041.cms">Apple will roll out the privacy-oriented iOS 14.5 update next week that has Facebook worried</a>

COVID-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' is effective against double mutant strain found in India, says ICMR

<ul class="summary-list"><li>There are four <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> variants, including the Delta variant, that experts around the world are particularly worried about.</li><li>These variants were first identified in South Africa, the UK, Brazil, and India respectively.</li><li>Others coronavirus variants have concerning features, but it's not yet clear they're more dangerous.</li></ul>Several coronavirus variants have evolved mutations that mean they spread more easily, make people sicker, escape immune responses, evade tests, or render treatments ineffective.These are called "variants of concern" <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19---27-april-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by the World Health Organization</a>, and there are four that have spread to the US, including the Delta variant first found in India.There are various other variants that may have troubling features, which experts are looking into. These are called "variants under investigation."They differ from the original virus strain in a number of key ways.<h1>Variants of concern</h1><h2>Alpha (B.1.1.7, first found in the UK)</h2><div type="image" title="coronavirus hospital UK" height="1228" width="1637" msid="82310361" hostid="261"></div>Alpha was<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/sharp-rise-in-coronavirus-numbers-and-a-new-variant" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> first detected</a> in two people in south-east England. It was reported to the World <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword> Organization (WHO)<a href="https://www.who.int/csr/don/31-december-2020-sars-cov2-variants/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> on December 14.</a>It has been identified<a href="https://cov-lineages.org/global_report_B.1.1.7.html?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosvitals&amp;stream=top#B.1.1.7=top#B.1.1.7" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> in 135 countries worldwide</a>, including the US, where there are<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant-cases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> more than 20,000</a> reported cases,<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant-cases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the CDC.</a> It became the most common variant in the US<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-director-says-uk-covid-19-variant-dominant-strain-us-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> on April 7.</a> Tennessee has the highest proportion of Alpha cases of any state, accounting for<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcases-updates%2Fvariant-proportions.html#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 86% of sequenced cases</a>.Alpha is between<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.24.20248822v3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 30% to 50%</a> better at spreading from person to person than most other coronavirus variants, according to UK scientists. It's about 60% less infectious than the Delta variant first identified in India.<h3>Alpha could be more deadly, but we don't know for sure</h3>Alpha could be more deadly. The UK government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG)<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/955239/NERVTAG_paper_on_variant_of_concern__VOC__B.1.1.7.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported a model on January 21</a> that showed someone infected with Alpha is 30% to 40% more likely to die than someone with a different variant.Community-based studies in England, Scotland and Denmark showed that infection with Alpha in the community causes a higher risk of severe disease requiring hospital treatment and death.But<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-uk-coronavirus-variant-may-be-deadlier-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> there is a lot of uncertainty around the numbers.</a> Two studies published in the<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00170-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Lancet Infectious Diseases</a> and the<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(21)00055-4/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Lancet Public Health</a> on April 13 indicated that Alpha was more infectious, but didn't cause worse illness in hospitalized patients. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-vaccines-efficacy-variants-south-africa-uk-brazil-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson &amp; Johnson</a> and AstraZeneca<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-mutation-strain-vaccines-work-experts-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> all appear to protect against Alpha</a>.<h2>Beta (B.1.351, first identified in South Africa)</h2><div type="image" title="COVID-19, South Africa" height="2663" width="3551" msid="82310363" hostid="261"></div>Beta was<a href="https://www.nicd.ac.za/latest-confirmed-cases-of-covid-19-in-south-africa-18-dec-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> first detected in</a> Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa, in samples dating back to the beginning of October 2020. It was reported to the WHO<a href="https://www.who.int/csr/don/31-december-2020-sars-cov2-variants/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> on December 18.</a>It has been found in<a href="https://cov-lineages.org/global_report_B.1.351.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 92 countries</a>, including the US, where there are 453 cases reported across 36 states and jurisdictions<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant-cases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the CDC</a>Beta is thought to be<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-africa-coronavirus-variant-more-contagious-us-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 50% more contagious</a> than the original strain, according to South African health officials.It's not thought to be more deadly. But there is<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja_tLG8CLAc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> evidence from South Africa</a> that when hospitals came under pressure because of the variant's spread, the risk of death increased.<h3>Beta may evade the body's immune response</h3>The variant may evade the body's immune response, data suggests. Antibodies work best when they attach snugly to the virus and stop it from entering our cells. Beta has mutations called E484K and K417N at the site where antibodies latch on. In<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-biontech-vaccine-south-africa-variant-covid-vaccines-mutation-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> early lab tests</a>, antibodies produced by Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines couldn't attach as well to Beta, compared to the original coronavirus.In a real-world Qatari study<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quatar-real-world-data-suggests-two-doses-are-needed-against-variants-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported on May 6</a>, Pfizer's vaccine was 75% effective at preventing infection of varying severity caused by Beta after two doses.And another real-world study from Israel published on April 10 suggested that<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-may-be-less-effective-uk-south-africa-variants-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Pfizer's vaccine provided less protection</a> against Beta than the original coronavirus. But it was focused on those who have already tested positive for the virus, not total infection rates, so we can't draw firm conclusions. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/johnson-and-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-arguably-the-best-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johnson &amp; Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine</a> was 64% effective at preventing COVID-19 in trials in South Africa, where 95% infections are caused by Beta, and 72% effective in the US, where Beta accounts for less than 1% of sequenced coronavirus tests.AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oxford-astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-less-effective-against-south-african-variant-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> didn't prevent</a> mild to moderate disease caused by Beta in a trial, and we don't yet know if AstraZeneca's shot still protects against severe illness caused by the variant.It is unlikely that vaccines will become completely useless against the variant. Existing vaccines could be updated and tailored to a new variant<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a67d1c2e-9963-4fd0-9ba6-dc677f68a216" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> within weeks or months</a>, or you may<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/you-may-need-extra-covid-19-vaccine-doses-to-combat-more-infectious-variants-a-former-obama-administration-official-says/articleshow/80466526.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> require a booster shot.</a><h2>Gamma (P.1, first identified in Brazil)</h2><div type="image" title="brazil coronavirus" height="1333" width="1778" msid="82310366" hostid="261"></div>Gamma was first detected in four people in Japan, who had<a href="https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_15969.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> traveled from Brazil on January 2</a>. It was identified by the<a href="https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/ja/diseases/ka/corona-virus/2019-ncov/10107-covid19-33.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> National Institute of Infectious Diseases</a> on January 6, and reported<a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19-11-january-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> to the WHO that weekend</a>.It has been found<a href="https://cov-lineages.org/global_report_P.1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> in 52 countries worldwide,</a> including the US, where there have been 497 cases in 31 states,<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant-cases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the CDC</a>Gamma is twice as contagious as the original coronavirus -<a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6526/288" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> it was initially detected</a> in Amazonas, north-west Brazil, on December 4, and by January 21, 91% of people with COVID-19 in the region were infected with P.1,<a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update---23-february-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the WHO</a>. Gamma has similar E484K and K417T mutations as B.1.351, which means it can evade antibody responses. This could be the reason Gamma reinfects people who have already caught coronavirus - a<a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/04/13/science.abh2644" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> study published April 14</a> showed that previous coronavirus infection only offered between 54% and 79% of the protection for P.1 than for other virus strains.Gamma's mutations could also mean that<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/p1-variant-vaccine-brazil-covid-efficacy-effectiveness-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> vaccines work less well.</a>COVID-19 vaccines from<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-vaccines-efficacy-variants-south-africa-uk-brazil-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Pfizer and AstraZeneca probably work against </a>Gamma. Moderna's hasn't been tested. Johnson &amp; Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine was<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-expert-panel-recommends-johnson-johnson-coronavirus-vaccine-for-ok-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 68% effective in trials in Brazil</a>, where the variant is the most common strain, compared with its 72% efficacy in the US, where Gamma at the time accounted for 0.1% of sequenced coronavirus tests.<h2>Delta (B.1.617.2, first identified in India)</h2><div type="image" title="india coronavirus" height="1300" width="1733" msid="82310375" hostid="261"></div>Delta is<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-coronavirus-variant-more-transmissible-who-says-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> more infectious than the original virus </a>- it's estimated to be about 60% more contagious than Alpha, according to UK data. This is due to mutations that improves its ability to bind to the airways and help it to escape the body's immune response. People infected with Delta also have a higher viral load than with Alpha, so they spew more virus particles out into the air, passing it onto another person more easily. Delta remains a "variant of interest,"<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant-info.html#Concern" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the CDC.</a>Its mutations include:<ul><li>L452R: May make the virus more infectious or it may avoid the antibody response. </li><li>P681R: May make it more infectious.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-variant-pfizer-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-one-shot-effectiveness-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real-world data from the UK</a> found that both AstraZeneca's and Pfizer's vaccines were highly effective against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by Delta when two doses were given. But there's isn't enough data yet to tell exactly how well it works against severe COVID-19 requiring hospital treatment. We don't have enough data on how well COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson protect against Delta.A Public Health England briefing on June 3 said that early data suggests that it could cause more hospitalizations. But this is still being debated. Some UK-based experts <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-latest-update-from-phe-on-the-delta-variant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in statements on June 4</a> that it could be that people that got sick with the variant and needed hospital treatment weren't vaccinated - two doses of Pfizer's vaccine offers some protection against it, for example.There have been anecdotal reports of atypical symptoms from India <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-07/gangrene-hearing-loss-point-to-delta-variant-being-more-severe?srnd=coronavirus&amp;sref=lAVQtUwztUwz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including hearing loss and gangrene</a>, but there's no data to back this up currently.<h1>Variants of interest</h1><h2>Epsilon (B.1.427/B.1.429, first identified in California)</h2><div type="image" title="pfizer covid 19 vaccine distribution" height="1467" width="1956" msid="80289314" hostid="261"></div>Epsilon consists of two slightly different mutated forms of the virus, called B.1.427 and B.1.429. It is also called CAL.20C, using another naming system. It was first found in California in July and has<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-variant-california-mutation-study-more-infectious-deady-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> now been detected across the US</a> and elsewhere, including in Australia, Denmark, Mexico, and Taiwan,<a href="https://outbreak.info/situation-reports?country=United%20States&amp;division=California&amp;pango=B.1.429&amp;selected=United%20States&amp;selectedType=countryctedType=country" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID).</a>Epsilon is estimated to be about 20% more infectious than the original coronavirus. This is likely because of a mutation called L452R mutation, which in early lab studies was shown to help the virus infect cells. COVID-19 vaccines haven't yet been tested against this variant specifically. But early lab experiments showed that antibodies produced by previous COVID-19 infections worked only half as well against the variant as they did with the original coronavirus strain.The CDC considers Epsilon a "variant of concern", which means the CDC experts consider that there's enough evidence that its mutations change its behavior. It remains a "variant under investigation" according to the WHO.Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-mrna-covid-drug-treatment-future-of-medicine-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Experts explain why the mRNA tech that revolutionized COVID-19 vaccines could be the answer to incurable diseases, heart attacks, and even snake bites: 'The possibilities are endless'</a><h2>Zeta (P.2, first identified in Brazil)</h2>Zeta was first detected in Brazil in April 2020. It's a "variant of interest" because it has the E484K mutation that may mean it evades antibody responses. No sequenced coronavirus tests in the US are Zeta at the moment,<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-proportions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the CDC.</a><h2>Eta (B.1.525, identified in multiple countries)</h2><div type="image" title="covid scientist lab coronavirus testing samples" height="2661" width="3548" msid="82310372" hostid="261"></div>Eta was detected in multiple places including the UK, Nigeria and New York in December 2020. It has the E484K mutation that may mean it evades the antibody response. Eta accounts for 0.1% of sequenced coronavirus tests in the US,<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-proportions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the CDC.</a><h2>Theta (P.3, first identified in the Philippines)</h2>Theta was first detected in the Philippines in February. Theta has the E484K mutation that may mean it evades the immune response. Theta hasn't yet been detected in the US.<h2>Iota (B.1.526, first identified in New York)</h2>Iota was detected in New York in November 2020. It's a "variants of interest" because it has mutations that may mean it can escape antibody responses. B.1.526 accounts for less than 5% of sequenced coronavirus tests in the US,<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-proportions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the CDC.</a><h2>Kappa (B.1.617.1, first found in India)</h2>Kappa was first found in India in October 2020. It may have mutations that mean it can evade tests. It accounts for less than 0.1% of sequenced coronavirus cases in the US,<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcases-updates%2Fvariant-proportions.html#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> according to the CDC.</a><h1>Human behavior can help stop them spreading</h1><div type="image" title="AOC Elbow bump Houston Food Bank February 20201.JPG" height="2205" width="2941" msid="82310376" hostid="261"></div>The WHO has said that everyone should double down on precautions that stop the spread of variants, such as social distancing, hand-washing, mask wearing, and avoiding crowds."Human behavior has a very large effect on transmission - probably much larger than any biological differences in SARS-CoV-2 variants," Paul Bieniasz, a virologist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-uk-coronavirus-variant-spreads-easier-changes-infection-risk-2021-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> told Insider.</a>

4 coronavirus variants can make people sicker or spread faster, including the Delta variant first found in India. Here's what variants are, and why experts are so concerned about them.

You Searched For "uk COVID 19 variant in India" and got 10 results

77 cases of Indian COVID-19 variant found in the UK

PTI

Fauci warns that the Delta coronavirus variant, first found in India, could take over in the US if people don't get their shots

Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce

Doctors in India are reporting COVID-19 patients with gangrene, hearing loss, and diarrhea - but there's not enough data to prove they're caused by the Delta variant

Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce,…

The top Delta variant symptoms reported in the UK are a runny nose and headache - because most people affected are very young or partially vaccinated

Hilary Brueck

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will work against UK and South Africa's variants, says study

IANS

There's more evidence that getting both doses of Pfizer's vaccine may be 'critical' to protecting against emerging variants

Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine found 89.3% effective in UK trials

IANS

The Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against the variant first found in India, but only if you get both doses, real-world data shows

Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce

COVID-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' is effective against double mutant strain found in India, says ICMR

IANS

4 coronavirus variants can make people sicker or spread faster, including the Delta variant first found in India. Here's what variants are, and why experts are so concerned about them.

Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce

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