Fauci on new COVID-19 variant: US, South African scientists studying potential to evade vaccine antibodies

U.S. scientists will talk with South African scientists on Friday about the threat of the new B.1.1.529 COVID-19 variant, including whether or not it can evade antibodies.

"We don't know that for sure right now," Fauci said. "This is really something that's in motion and we just arranged right now a discussion between our scientists and the South African scientists, a little bit later in the morning to really get the facts – because you're hearing a lot of things back and forth."

"We want to find out, scientists to scientists, exactly what is going on," he said. "But it's something that has emerged in South Africa and seems to be spreading at a reasonably rapid rate, in the sense of when they do test positivity they're seeing it's a bit more widespread in South Africa than was originally felt a couple of days ago. So it's in a fluid motion. We're finding more about it and, literally, it's something that – in real time – we're learning more and more about."