Scientists in UK are not fully confident that Covid-19 vaccines will work on a new variant of the coronavirus found in South Africa. Reports citing an unidentified scientific adviser to the British government said that they are not as confident the vaccines will be as effective against it as they are for the UK's variant. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said earlier on Monday that he was incredibly worried about the new variant. Both Britain and South Africa have discovered new variants in the coronavirus in recent months that have driven a surge in case numbers.
The new strain has also been associated with a higher viral load, meaning a higher concentration of virus particles in patients' bodies, possibly contributing to higher levels of transmission.