Some people mount an immune response able to fend off a menagerie of coronavirus variants. Nature news covering four of our recent papers on the variant, neutralisation of plasma and Vaccines (Novavax and Astrazeneca)

New research from South Africa’s genomic surveillance network shows that people infected with the 501Y.V2 variant are also immune to other forms of the virus. The team found the protection against the 501Y.V2 variant could also extend to the original virus circulating the country and the variant first identified in Brazil.

Tracking the coronavirus’s evolution, letter by letter, is revolutionizing pandemic science.In the beginning, there was one. The first genome for the virus causing a mysterious illness we had not yet named COVID-19 was shared by scientists on January 10, 2020. That single genome alerted the world to the danger of a novel coronavirus.

The 501Y.V2 variant reportedly produces a high number of antibodies, providing protection against infection by other variants. The findings in laboratory studies offer hope that COVID-19 vaccines based on the 501Y.V2 variant first identified late last year could protect against multiple variants circulating in different parts of the world

B.1.351 may sound sweet to a molecular epidemiologist, but what is the alternative, other than stigmatizing geographical names? News piece at NY Times highlighting our work with WHO on a new nomenclature system for COVID-19 variants

A new SARS-CoV-2 variant, which has dominated Covid-19 infections in Uganda and Rwanda, has been detected in South Africa. The announcement was made by Professor Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KRISP lab. However, de Oliveira told Health24 that is not a variant of concern, and that genome surveillance will monitor this and other variants

A variant of concern first identified in Brazil has now been found in the UK. Public health officials are investigating the six cases and are deploying more testing to see if it has spread to more people. Some variants, like this one, appear to be more contagious and there are concerns vaccines may not work quite so well against them.

Scientists worldwide have been closely monitoring the emergence of coronavirus variants. Although there are a large number of variants, some of them have turned out to be more alarming. Professor Tulio de Oliveira provided an update on the spread of three of these, and said that two more have been placed on the WHO's watchlist.

South Africa’s pause of its rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in response to concern about a local coronavirus variant sparked global debate —and shone a spotlight on how the country’s science has become vital to understanding where the pandemic may go next.

As potentially more dangerous variants of Covid-19 spread, scientists are taking a crack at giving them clearer names that’ll help in the fight. Another very interesting piece of The Wired magazine one SARS-CoV-2 variants' names

Across the globe, SARS-CoV-2 is evolving ways to evade the immune system and become more infectious. Blown pandemic response plans are to blame. Really interesting but funny piece at The Wired magazine.

Evidence that a variant of the coronavirus identified in South Africa might compromise immunity sparks concerns about vaccine effectiveness.

Phylogenetic identification of variants 501Y.V1, 501Y.V2, 501Y.V3 (B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1 / Nextstrain 20I, 20H, 20J). Tool also determines nucleotide (NT), amino acids (AA) and codon (CDS) mutations. The mutations list are provided in html and excel formats.

Efforts to track SARS-CoV-2 sequences have helped identify worrying variants - but researchers are blind to emerging mutations in some regions.

As more lineages emerge, researchers are struggling with a patchwork of nomenclature.

A South African tip led to the discovery of mutations around the world. With infections skyrocketing, 'it's a race against time.'. Doctors and nurses at a South African hospital group noticed an odd spike in the number of Covid-19 patients in their wards in late October...

One year later and the new coronavirus is still posing new questions for researchers. The recent emergence of new COVID-19 variants across the world has left scientists searching for answers once again as they try to understand what these changes mean for the pandemic - and vaccine roll-outs. As South Africa awaits the arrival of its first shipment of COVID vaccines there are growing concerns about a new coronavirus variant - known as 501Y.V2 - circulating in the country, and what the changes in the virus could mean for how well the jabs work.

Experts worldwide are urgently studying three coronavirus variants to understand what risks they pose. One variant first identified in the UK, one in South Africa, and one in Japan are probably more contagious than the original strain. They have caused cases to surge and the three nations to lock down. Here are nine key questions about the variants, answered.

Researchers race to determine why lineages identified in Britain and South Africa spread so quickly and whether they'll compromise vaccines.

KRISP believes that open and independent scientific information is represented by good journalism that determines its value to the society it serves. Read news at KRISP COVID-19 Scientific News Coverage.

Countries that conduct a lot of genetic sequencing are more likely to find new strains, say experts

A variant identified in Japan in arrivals from Brazil shares 'concerning' characteristics with mutations detected in the UK and South Africa

Researchers warn that the new variant may spread faster and could reduce the efficacy of vaccines

The coronavirus has evolved as it has made its way across the world, as any virus is expected to do. But experts have been startled by the pace at which significant new variants have emerged.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A variant of the coronavirus first detected in South Africa is unlikely to completely negate the immunising effects of vaccines, a researcher studying it told Reuters.

Mutation reduces ability of antibodies to bind to virus and could make some shots less effective.

The variant is up to 70 percent more transmissible than earlier versions, officials said. People in southeast England, including London, were told to stay at home.

Scientists are scrambling to better understand effects of a series of worrisome mutations from in the U.K. and South Africa variants.

'Si nous permettons au virus de continuer à circuler librement, nous lui donnons une grande marge de manœuvre pour mieux s'adapter à la transmission chez l'homme', déclare Tulio de Oliveira, le Brésilien à l'origine de la découverte d'une nouvelle mutation "plus transmissible" du coronavirus qui suscite des inquiétudes dans le monde entier.

President Cyril Ramaphosa expected to announce new restrictions in attempt to slow the surge