Thread by @DrEricDing

Concerning if true—the coronavirus variant #P1 identified in the Brazil 🇧🇷 Amazon may be **3 times more contagious** but early analysis suggests vaccines are still effective against it, 🇧🇷 health minister said, albeit not published yet. #COVID19
aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/12…

2) Brazil began immunisations with vaccines made by China’s Sinovac Biotech and Britain’s AstraZeneca about three weeks ago. Pazuello did not explain how their effectiveness against the Manaus variant was analysed.

3) “Thank God, we had clear news from the analysis that the vaccines still have an effect against this variant,” Pazuello said. “But it is more contagious. By our analysis, it is three time more contagious.”

4) The Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo, which has partnered with Sinovac to test and produce the Chinese vaccine, said in a statement that it had begun studies regarding the Manaus variant but would not have a conclusion for two weeks.

5) The Fiocruz biomedical centre in Rio de Janeiro, which has paired up with AstraZeneca to fill and finish doses of its vaccine developed with Oxford University, said it is studying its efficacy against the Amazon variant, sent samples to Oxford and is awaiting results.

6) Located deep in rainforest, Manaus was hit hard by a brutal 2nd wave of cases that has stretched emergency services to breaking point. hospitals ran out of oxygen in January, govt flew in supplies from across the country in an attempt to save people from suffocating to death.

7) My take—i caveats#ed “if true” because to say it is 3x more contagious would be astonishing if true. The #B117 is only 40-70% more contagious at most. For 3x, or 200% more contagious, is quite a claim. We need to see the data. And 🇧🇷 doesn’t have as good tracing as UK.