21/12/20 There is a variant to the COVID-19 strain which has currently been identified in the UK and South Africa although it may be current in India and other countries.This variant is roughly the 23rd or so variant identified since the pandemic began and known as 69-70 deletion.

What makes this variant particularly interesting is that its rate of infection has increased by over 70%.

It is quite normal for a virus to mutate in its’ lifetime. There have already been 4000 variants of COVID-19. The Flu virus does this quite often and is the reason for providing a Flu vaccine that will cover any current variations.

The current vaccine for COVID-19 is still effective against this variation.

Further Reading

• Covid-19 What is the new variant of coronavirus?
• Confirmed cases of Covid-19 variants identified in UK.

Remember, for the most current and detailed information, it’s always best to consult these or similar authoritative sources directly or perform a search for recent developments. If you’re looking for very recent data or specific studies, I’d recommend you perform a web search or check these sources for the latest updates.