The strain contains the 484K mutation on the spike protein, which has been shown to provide a degree of resistance to vaccines.
The variant includes another mutations in the spike protein called N501Y.
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According to PHE, these changes have resulted in the virus becoming about 50 percent more infectious and spreading more easily between people.
Two new variants were also discovered in January 2021 – one in the Bristol area, in the South West of England, and one in the Liverpool area, in the North West of England.
Source: Daily Express
