Scientists reveal good news about South African variant

Two South African laboratories have used different tests to show that antibodies against the variant of the COVID-19 virus known as 501Y.V2, which dominated the second wave of infections in the country, are effective against the original version of the COVID-19 virus.

This means that if a vaccine is designed to target 501Y.V2, it will likely be as effective, or nearly as effective, against earlier strains of the virus. (Vaccines developed against the original strain of the virus are still partially effective against 501Y.V2, albeit less so, and worth having.