Deadly South African Covid Variant Identified In The US For The First Time

 

Daily Mail: South African 'super-covid' hits America: Two South Carolina residents with NO travel history test positive for the variant that Fauci warns may make vaccines less effective 

 * Two people in South Carolina are the first US cases of the South African variant 

 * Neither has a known history of travel or a link to the other, the state health department said Thursday   * South Africa's 501Y.V2 variant is thought to be about 50% more infectious 

 * But it has mutations to the spike protein that Dr Fauci warned may make vaccines less effective against it 

 * Pfizer and Moderna both found this week their shots are 'protective' against the variant but the protection may wane faster 

Two South Carolina residents are the first Americans with the South African 'super covid' variant that may make vaccines less effective, state health department officials confirmed on Thursday. 

Neither person has a 'known' recent history of travel and they have no evident connection to one another, as far as health officials can tell. 

That's a worrying signal that the 50 percent more infectious variant has already been spreading silently in South Carolina, if not the broader US. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The Best has arrived. This is why the South African variant is very dangerous .... Coronavirus variant sweeps South Africa, exhibiting ‘terrifying’ dominance (Washington Post). Bottom line. People who were infected in the first wave got infected with this variant. There are also concerns that vaccines will only be partially effective against this variant. 

More News On The South African Covid Variant Being Identified In The US For The First Time 

Virus variant from South Africa detected in US for 1st time -- AP 

South Carolina health officials detect first-known U.S. Covid cases of more problematic variant from South Africa -- CNBC 

South Carolina detects first US cases of coronavirus strain first seen in South Africa -- CNN 

First US cases of South Africa virus variant reported in South Carolina -- The Hill Coronavirus: South African variant identified in US for first time -- The Guardian 

First US cases of South African coronavirus variant identified in South Carolina -- FOX News 

South African Covid Variant Detected for the First Time in U.S. -- Bloomberg 

South African COVID variant found in South Carolina patients -- NYPost