S1E62 / South Africa’s B.1.351 Variant — Immunity-Evading / Salim Abdool Karim, Richard Lessells, Jinal Bhiman, Allison Greaney

EPIDEMIC with Dr. Celine Gounder

"It just shows how difficult it is to be reactive with this virus. By the time you've detected something and understood the significance of it you're already several steps behind the virus." -Richard Lessells

This is the second in our series on variants of concern. Our previous episode looked at the UK variant, and today we’re looking at the variant that emerged in South Africa: 501Y.V2. This variant is not only more transmissible, but has demonstrated the troubling ability to evade the body's immune system and even some vaccines. We'll hear from experts about how the 501Y.V2 variant is able to do this and what it means for our vaccine strategy in the coming months.

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