P.1

P.1 is a variant of the SARS CoV 2 that is wreaking havoc in Brazil, which is currently facing a second wave of Covid-19. It is commonly called as the ‘Brazil variant’. The variant is a cause of concern as it is more infectious than the original strain and can infect those who had survived the covid-19 earlier i.e. the anti-bodies produced by previous infections do not sufficiently protect against a P.1 infection. Genomic surveillance has revealed that the variant carries a mutation in the spike protein receptor binding domain.