Thread by @DrEricDing

📍The #B1351 🇿🇦 variant’s sudden outbreak in south London continues, now 44 cases. London starting “largest surge testing operation to date”, people who live, work or travel through area getting PCR & biweekly rapid tests. All positive PCR to be sequenced.
theguardian.com/world/2021/apr…

2) Why a concern? “The strain, named B1351, has been classed a “variant of concern” as it appears to be more resistant to existing vaccines. It carries a mutation, E484K, which helps the virus evade the immunity conferred by past infection or vaccination.

3) “South Africa suspended its use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in February after the results from a small trial in young people suggested the jab prevented only 10% of mild or moderate disease caused by the variant.

4) The UK, which is administering the vaccines by AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna, has primarily relied on the Oxford-made AstraZeneca jab in its rollout. But that is the one that does poorly against the B1351 for mild illness.