The beta Covid variant is causing concerns in Europe, should we be worried?

The beta Covid variant is causing concerns in Europe, should we be worried?

While the world is busy tackling further Covid-19 waves caused by the highly infectious delta variant, there are growing concerns in parts of Europe about a "beta" coronavirus strain first discovered in South Africa. Last week, the British government announced that anyone traveling to the U.K. from France would have to quarantine even if they were fully vaccinated France has defended its case record, noting that most cases of the beta variant are in its overseas territories of La Reunion and Mayotte which are situated in the Indian Ocean, rather than on mainland France. On Tuesday, France's European Affairs Minister‚ ClƒÂ©ment Beaune‚ described the U.K. measures as "excessive" and on Monday, France's Ambassador to the U.K. Catherine Colonna cited data showing cases of the beta variant were declining. There has previously been concerns that Covid vaccines developed over the last year might not be so effective against the beta variant, and that it could evade antibody drugs. CNBC has the lowdown on what we know about the beta variant: What is the beta variant? As with all viruses, the coronavirus has mutated multiple times since its emergence in China in late 2019, although some mutations have been far more significant