The Latest in COVID-19 News: Week Ending Jan. 30, 2021

By the Editors

This week, two new — potentially more transmissible — SARS-CoV-2 variants were detected in the U.S. for the first time: B.1.1.28.1 (the strain first identified in Brazil) was detected in Minnesota, and B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa) was identified in South Carolina. Elsewhere, two different monoclonal antibody therapies showed evidence of a preventive effect against COVID-19. And in vaccine news, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky reported that an estimated 6% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of vaccine. Meanwhile, an in vitro study suggested that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine's efficacy may be only slightly reduced against the B.1.351 variant, and Moderna is beginning a phase 1 trial of a booster candidate with spike proteins specific to B.1.351. Catch up on these and all of our stories from the past week at the links below.