What is 501.V2 variant?
The '''501Y.V2 variant''', also known as '''South African COVID-19 variant''', is a variant of the [[SARS-CoV-2]], the virus that causes [[coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]]. It is one of several SARS-CoV-2 variants. It was first detected in the [[Nelson Mandela Bay]]<ref>{{cite web|title=SA Reaches Grim Milestone of 1 Million Covid-19 Cases|publisher=IOL|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/sa-reaches-grim-milestone-of-1-million-covid-19-cases-a01906de-5442-451c-932f-84d6fc381b84|access-date=February 11, 2021}}</ref> metropolitan area of the [[Eastern Cape]] province of [[South Africa]]. On 23 December 2020, the [[United Kingdom]] [[health minister]] [[Matt Hancock]] said that two people who had travelled from South Africa to the United Kingdom were infected with the 501.V2.<ref>{{cite web|title=South African Covid-19 Variant Has Reached the UK|work=The Guardian|date=23 December 2020|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/23/south-african-covid-19-variant-has-reached-the-uk-says-matt-hancock|access-date=February 11, 2021}}</ref> On 28 December, the variant was detected in two people in [[Switzerland]]<ref>{{cite web|title=South African Covid Variant Discovered in Switzerland|publisher=Business Insider|url=https://www.businessinsider.co.za/south-african-covid-variant-discovered-in-switzerland-2020-12|access-date=February 11, 2021}}</ref> and one in [[Finland]].<ref>{{cite web|title=New UK and South African Covid Strains Detected in Finland|publisher=Uutiset|url=https://www.businessinsider.co.za/south-african-covid-variant-discovered-in-switzerland-2020-12|access-date=February 11, 2021}}</ref> The [[United States]] reported its first cases of the variant in the [[U.S. state]] of [[South Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web|title=South Carolina Reports 1st Known U.S. Cases from South Africa|website=NPR|date=28 January 2021|publisher=National Public Radio|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/01/28/961609976/south-carolina-reports-1st-known-u-s-cases-of-variant-from-sou