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