tations seen in other variants). The large number of mutations may involve a combination of persistence of the virus in some patients leading to many more cycles of replication and antigenic selection, where mutations that help avoid antibody neutralisation have an advantage.
Wait for more research
These reports are preliminary. Further research is required to understand the selective processes, the degree or nature of selective advantage (if any), and whether there has been a change in clinical effects in South Africa.
The effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines already available, and those in development, are usually tested against a variety of viral strains. So it is feasible that the new variants will be susceptible to these vaccines. But that too needs careful scrutiny.
One of the bright spots of 2020 has been that the science system can react very quickly to emerging threats and challenges.