coronavirus with the potential to defeat existing Covid-19 vaccines or natural antibodies.Known as B.1.525, the variant contains a genetic change called E484K, also found in the Brazilian and South African variants.Public Health England (PHE) has said there is no evidence that the mutations in the new variant make the virus more transmissible or cause severe disease.It said B.1.525 has been classed as a “variant under investigation” and as of Tuesday, 38 cases had been identified in the UK.The variant has also been seen in other countries, including Australia, Denmark, Nigeria, Canada and the US.Laboratory studies have shown that viruses with the E484K mutation can escape human defences, making them more efficient at evading natural and.