The so-called UK strain, B.1.1.7, still makes up the vast majority of new cases in the US, but the Indian variant is now rising at a rapid rate despite vaccination efforts.
Sometimes it takes a cataclysm to move the world. In December 2019 a scientist called Katalin Kariko had, for more than 30 years, been cherishing a dream. She believed you could use a type of genetic
How Dangerous Are New, Fast-Spreading Coronavirus Variants?
Key questions remain about how quickly B.1.617 variants can spread, their potential to evade immunity and how they might affect the course of the pandemic
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Members of the Armed Forces distribute Covid-19 leaflets to local residents of Halliwell on May 22, 2021 in Bolton, England. Credit: Charlotte Tattersall
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Since the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.617 was first reported in India late last year, it has spread to dozens of other countries including the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom, where it has become dominant in some regions.
Researchers have since identified three subtypes, known as B.1.617.1 (the ‘original’ B.1.617), B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3, each with a slightly different genetic make-up.
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It was in India that the B.1.617 variant of coronavirus was initially detected. Classified as the variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), B.1.617 is now found in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore. Shockingly, this Covid variant has become the dominant strain in some regions of the country, and medical experts believe that it could increase the number of fresh positive cases.