A new form of coronavirus is spreading rapidly in New York and has a mutation that could weaken the effectiveness of vaccines.
The New York Times reports it citing two studies, one by Caltech and one by Columbia.
The new variant is called B.1.526 and contains a mutation that could help the virus dodge the immune system.
Meanwhile, California passes the 50,000 death mark, becoming the first US state to cross the milestone. The threshold comes as a variant of the virus found in California during the winter is rapidly spreading and now accounts for 50% of infections in 44 counties.
