![A boy stands near a Christmas tree with a coronavirus-themed decoration in Bali, Indonesia. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FVE4DLCOZAY4ZRVJFSOBHX2SUU.jpg?smart=true&auth=038c234de9f0a2cde89adbb6e02fb20ab1010e4e0b30b268fcf88cb704e7f815&width=400&height=225)
![Pasqualina Ghilardi, 87, centre, is flanked by carer Michela Valle, left, and director Maria Giulia Madaschi, as she talks on a video call with Caterina Damiano, a donor unrelated to her, who bought and sent her a sweater as Christmas present through an organisation dubbed "Santa's Grandchildren", at the Mariano Zanchi nursing home in Alzano Lombardo, one of the area that most suffered the first wave of Covid-19, in northern Italy. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M2NPVYHWXBRGWDAKU6AO5BSTF4.jpg?smart=true&auth=03abe78d6d00b1b02ed7c9b998d3e79dd83d034028b1e4bb27422122f6afa469&width=400&height=225)
![A masked security guard stands to watch in front of a coronavirus-themed Christmas tree decorated with masks and rubber gloves in Hanoi, Vietnam. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7SOD2KSH46CIQ4O7V54OVBAYGQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=7618dea03eb668d398d6580fcfb624ad0a341bf1814c0b14bfd40a4c258b1b59&width=400&height=225)
![A glass wall is decorated with the name of a Christmas song, "Let it snow," as registered nurse Ashley Gould checks on a patient in an intensive care unit at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M4IXCCXIHC5HZVX575DK423TV4.jpg?smart=true&auth=5a05add27d58ec6dc11bda56a573f09db319dd072c758b3777125c8d388c4912&width=400&height=225)
![A demonstrator takes part in a protest asking for the vaccine for the coronavirus and against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in Brasilia, Brazil. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LNLWOYOQXC3DEAXJQE35XLU66A.jpg?smart=true&auth=f2b3ba2aab958e9c8164352a3af0a46d59ad1ae7bb5207536e617c7152ff3b87&width=400&height=225)
![Clinicians care for a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Providence St Mary Medical Centre amid a surge in Covid-19 patients in Southern California. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/54MKRL5U565RPJILKOBI32BDTI.jpg?smart=true&auth=accbfda77c2d2a09776c3fd317c0a4f1e4319f9a43af371b3e3cce4432583297&width=400&height=225)
![A couple stands at Rome's Termini train station one day before Italy goes back to a complete lockdown for Christmas as part of efforts put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rome, Italy.. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5UXEJMNFSUTUO6FQUGIEU6U5DY.jpg?smart=true&auth=49f3112c08e94d92ada19933479d29e07ae405282c314400f44bdfb0e25e611d&width=400&height=225)
![Registered nurse Dania Lima, right, helps fellow nurse Adriana Volynsky put on her personal protective equipment in a Covid-19 unit at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FMOJBFR24O2WXYCMHDKRGQSRYU.jpg?smart=true&auth=dce5ab0604d0cabbd8b8e6fd02c1cec0d15778fcb7a82c298d46ec6a4f2c69a3&width=400&height=225)
![Dr Mher Onanyan takes a short break while waiting for an X-ray of a Covid-19 patient's lungs at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5SG3XF3FO4IY5VH2XQYKGSPHWE.jpg?smart=true&auth=241eb6ff9cd72f51fbca9b4e44d78d4db4acbaf466eb402766bbc3f689bf1a18&width=400&height=225)
![Patient Efrain Molina, centre, gets a fist bump from nurse leader Edgar Ramirez at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KES3WZYS7OLCWYI3LTG4FARYNQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=bb628127148ce36323a1822f924fbdb77112ee86bcecb6316b5031634b96f179&width=400&height=225)
![A boy stands near a Christmas tree with a coronavirus-themed decoration in Bali, Indonesia. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FVE4DLCOZAY4ZRVJFSOBHX2SUU.jpg?smart=true&auth=038c234de9f0a2cde89adbb6e02fb20ab1010e4e0b30b268fcf88cb704e7f815&width=400&height=225)
![Pasqualina Ghilardi, 87, centre, is flanked by carer Michela Valle, left, and director Maria Giulia Madaschi, as she talks on a video call with Caterina Damiano, a donor unrelated to her, who bought and sent her a sweater as Christmas present through an organisation dubbed "Santa's Grandchildren", at the Mariano Zanchi nursing home in Alzano Lombardo, one of the area that most suffered the first wave of Covid-19, in northern Italy. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M2NPVYHWXBRGWDAKU6AO5BSTF4.jpg?smart=true&auth=03abe78d6d00b1b02ed7c9b998d3e79dd83d034028b1e4bb27422122f6afa469&width=400&height=225)
![A masked security guard stands to watch in front of a coronavirus-themed Christmas tree decorated with masks and rubber gloves in Hanoi, Vietnam. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7SOD2KSH46CIQ4O7V54OVBAYGQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=7618dea03eb668d398d6580fcfb624ad0a341bf1814c0b14bfd40a4c258b1b59&width=400&height=225)
![A glass wall is decorated with the name of a Christmas song, "Let it snow," as registered nurse Ashley Gould checks on a patient in an intensive care unit at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M4IXCCXIHC5HZVX575DK423TV4.jpg?smart=true&auth=5a05add27d58ec6dc11bda56a573f09db319dd072c758b3777125c8d388c4912&width=400&height=225)
![A demonstrator takes part in a protest asking for the vaccine for the coronavirus and against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in Brasilia, Brazil. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LNLWOYOQXC3DEAXJQE35XLU66A.jpg?smart=true&auth=f2b3ba2aab958e9c8164352a3af0a46d59ad1ae7bb5207536e617c7152ff3b87&width=400&height=225)
![Clinicians care for a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Providence St Mary Medical Centre amid a surge in Covid-19 patients in Southern California. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/54MKRL5U565RPJILKOBI32BDTI.jpg?smart=true&auth=accbfda77c2d2a09776c3fd317c0a4f1e4319f9a43af371b3e3cce4432583297&width=400&height=225)
![A couple stands at Rome's Termini train station one day before Italy goes back to a complete lockdown for Christmas as part of efforts put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rome, Italy.. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5UXEJMNFSUTUO6FQUGIEU6U5DY.jpg?smart=true&auth=49f3112c08e94d92ada19933479d29e07ae405282c314400f44bdfb0e25e611d&width=400&height=225)
![Registered nurse Dania Lima, right, helps fellow nurse Adriana Volynsky put on her personal protective equipment in a Covid-19 unit at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FMOJBFR24O2WXYCMHDKRGQSRYU.jpg?smart=true&auth=dce5ab0604d0cabbd8b8e6fd02c1cec0d15778fcb7a82c298d46ec6a4f2c69a3&width=400&height=225)
![Dr Mher Onanyan takes a short break while waiting for an X-ray of a Covid-19 patient's lungs at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5SG3XF3FO4IY5VH2XQYKGSPHWE.jpg?smart=true&auth=241eb6ff9cd72f51fbca9b4e44d78d4db4acbaf466eb402766bbc3f689bf1a18&width=400&height=225)
![Patient Efrain Molina, centre, gets a fist bump from nurse leader Edgar Ramirez at Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KES3WZYS7OLCWYI3LTG4FARYNQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=bb628127148ce36323a1822f924fbdb77112ee86bcecb6316b5031634b96f179&width=400&height=225)
![A boy stands near a Christmas tree with a coronavirus-themed decoration in Bali, Indonesia. AP Photo](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FVE4DLCOZAY4ZRVJFSOBHX2SUU.jpg?smart=true&auth=038c234de9f0a2cde89adbb6e02fb20ab1010e4e0b30b268fcf88cb704e7f815&width=400&height=225)
Coronavirus: why new strains are 'really bad news' for controlling Covid-19
Scientists say new, more infectious strain will probably dominate other coronavirus variations worldwide
![Daniel Bardsley](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F4dcffed7-67d1-4c6f-b468-84a82d1ddd22.png?smart=true&auth=e4d7a6e3c76d7ec922e25339bc18538c62bc925936c2316006dc89b8a7becdc6&width=70&height=70)
Daniel Bardsley
December 24, 2020
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December 24, 2020