Over the weekend, reports of a new coronavirus strain surfaced in England causing the nation to undergo a strict lockdown. Health experts in the U.K. and U.S. said the strain seems to infect more easily than others, but there is no evidence yet it is more deadly. The strain is also concerning because it has so many mutations — nearly two dozen — and some are on the spiky protein that the virus uses to attach to and infect cells (that spike is what current vaccines target). There is no evidence of the variant being in the U.S. Scientists say mutations are unlikely to affect efficacy of vaccines. Speaking of vaccines, the initial shipment of Moderna left a distribution center in Memphis on Sunday. Below are the comparisons of the two approved vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna:
Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians