Thread by @AJEnglish

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As new coronavirus strains emerge and infect more people, questions loom over the effectiveness of vaccines.

Here’s what you need to know about the most concerning COVID-19 variants 👇

1- SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, keeps changing, generating new and more transmissible versions.

The concerning variants have been identified in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.

Here's what you need to know about the UK's B.1.1.7 variant: aje.io/cgxtx

2- The B.1.1.248 variant was first detected in early January in Brazil and is now spreading across the country. Brazil’s health minister says it is ‘three times more contagious’

Here's what you need to know: aje.io/rfjbs

3- The B.1.351 variant first emerged in October 2020 in South Africa and has since become the country’s dominant coronavirus strain.

Here’s what you need to know: aje.io/v9sdc

Do COVID-19 vaccines work on these variants?

The more a virus mutates, the less effective a vaccine becomes. In the worst-case scenario, the virus replicates to such an extent the vaccine is not adequate to help the body.

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