The coronavirus variant behind the worst wave of coronavirus in Brazil is growing in the United States, new data show. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the P1 variant that was first identified in Brazil is now the second most widespread variant in the states, with at least 434 people being infected. Most of these cases have been reported in Florida, Massachusetts and Illinois. The CDC says P1 could spread more easily and faster than other variants, which could lead to more cases of COVID-19. Laboratory tests have so far suggested that approved vaccines may work against P1, but possibly with reduced efficacy. The Brazilian Ministry of Health reported 4,195 deaths from COVID-19 in a day earlier this week, and its out-of-control pandemic has been described by health experts as “biological Fukushima.”
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