Your Evening Briefing: South African Coronavirus Variant Sparks Concern

There’s a new variant of the coronavirus that’s been identified in South Africa, and it’s causing some alarm. Scientists are still analyzing the new strain, but it has many more mutations than previous versions of the deadly pathogen. With much of the world still unvaccinated, health experts are worried their fears may soon be realized—that the virus will evolve into ever-more transmissible, possibly more dangerous forms that could circumvent existing shots. Concern that the new strain could fuel more outbreaks, even as a new infection wave is already gathering steam across the globe, has prompted nations including the U.S. to quickly block travelers from southern Africa countries, though the variant has already been found elsewhere. Here’s how stocks took a dive on the news, the latest on the new strain and the pandemic.

Bloomberg is tracking the coronavirus pandemic and the progress of global vaccination efforts.