COVID-19 Brazil Variant More Infectious by up to 61%; Is It Capable of Evading Natural Immunity?

While everyone anticipates the end of the pandemic, COVID-19 mutations make it more challenging for all to drop face masks. It turns out that a newer version, known as the P1, is more transmissible. This recent research indicates that this Brazilian variant may also reinfect people who have already been infected with the coronavirus.

New York Times said the research, which took place in Brazil and the United Kingdom, looked at coronavirus cases in Manaus, Brazil, where the P1 form is prominent. Scientists discovered that the P1 version spreads more quickly than other versions - and, sadly, it can reinfect people who have already healed from COVID-19.

COVID-19 P1 Variant: Brazilian Variant Reinfects Coronavirus Patients By 25% to 61%

It's unknown how normal it is for the P1 variant to reinfect those that have already been infected. However, the data from "Novel-SARS-CoV-2-P1-Lineage-in-Brazil" claims that people who have recovered from COVID-19 have a 25% to 60% risk of re-infection.

According to the New York Times, the P1 version is now spreading in Brazil and 24 other countries. It has also been detected in five U.S. states: Alaska, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, and Oklahoma.

The P1 version is so recent - it was discovered in December - that the data scientists are dealing with is provisional, which means it hasn't been released or peer-reviewed yet. Independent.co.uk says that as a consequence, the scientists cautioned against extrapolating their results to other outbreaks.

The Times cited William Hanage, an epidemiologist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, saying evidence gives everyone the reason why P.1 variant is concerning. The study's analysts, on the other hand, urged us to keep the data in context.

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The researchers propose that thorough clinical examinations of those infected with P1 and studies on real-world vaccine effectiveness and increased global genomic surveillance of coronavirus variants be performed.

Vaccination Remains Important

While it's uncertain how successful each of the presently available vaccinations would be against this specific variant, vaccination remains vital to ending the pandemic.

The ultimate message is that everyone needs to step up all the vaccination efforts as soon as possible," Faria told the Times.

Britain's Secretary of Health Matt Hancock added per The Guardian that the third vaccine against P1 and related variants such as B1351 South African variant could be expected in the autumn.

While none of the vaccines are 100% successful against any variant, they all help us keep one step ahead of the virus by reducing the disease's incidence and spread.

The good news is that, while all of these new versions are terrifying, everyone doesn't have to change the ways as a result. According to Faria, everyone needs to improve our attempts to slow the coronavirus transmission, such as masks and social isolation. But keep doing what you're doing, and soon, you'll be able to get the vaccine.