Scientists continue to worry about Brazil’s new coronavirus variant, more than other variants that have emerged across the country.
What is happening?
On Monday, Minnesota Department of Health officials identified the first case of Brazil’s variant – called P.1 – in Minnesota.
- The variant has been seen as more transmissible than the current variant, or even those seen in South Africa and the United Kingdom, as I wrote for Deseret News.
Why this worries scientists
But scientists are especially concerned with the Brazil variant because of how it destroyed Manaus, the Amazon city in Brazil, where the mutation originated.
- “If you asked me now, what is most troubling of all the things I’ve heard so far, is the fact that they are reporting a sudden increase in cases in Manaus, Brazil,” said virus expert Jeremy Luban of the University of Massachusetts, according to NPR. “Manaus already had 75% of people infected (in the spring of last year).”
Scientists have two big fears about the new variant, according to NPR.
- They don’t know why it exploded in Brazil.
- The variant has mutations that can escape the antibodies and the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the NPR.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s advisor on the pandemic, told The New York Times that he is more concerned with the variant in Brazil than with the UK or South African virus. He suggested that current vaccines can defeat these mutations. But Brazil’s variant may be more problematic.
- “The concern I have between the UK and South African / Brazilian variants is very, very different,” said Fauci, according to The New York Times.