South Carolina health officials reported the first known US cases of COVID-19 from a rapidly spreading variant discovered in South Africa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday.
Why it matters: Although the CDC has “no evidence that infections with this variant cause more serious illnesses”, preliminary data indicates that it can spread more quickly and easily than other variants.
What they are saying: “The CDC’s recommendations for slowing down propagation – wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, ventilating indoor spaces and washing hands frequently – will also prevent the spread of this variant,” said the agency.
Driving the news: The developer of the Novavax vaccine announced the results of the UK phase 3 study for its coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, and the company showed that its injection was 60% effective against the South African variant.
- Novavax reported that the vaccine was 85.6% effective against the variant strain discovered in the UK and 95.6% effective against the original coronavirus strain.
The big picture: Moderna, Pfizer and now Novavax reported that their vaccines, while still effective, offer less protection against the South African variant.
Go deeper: Coronavirus variants require a tougher response