Moderna has a vaccine.
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The discovery of a new coronaviruses variant in South Africa raised alarms and triggered lock downs as shares of companies that benefited from the Pandemic rallied Friday.
The stock prices of vaccine firms went up. Pfizer and BioNTech both jumped 9% in premarket trading.
The new variant of the vaccine is being studied by BioNTech. The German company said it will be able to ship a new version of the vaccine within 100 days if necessary.
Stay-at- home stock plays increased as well. After diving earlier on quarterly results that showed user growth had slowed, Zoom Video and Peloton jumped 8% and 10%, respectively.
The World Health Organization says that the new variant, B.1.1.529, has been identified in several countries.
Insider previously reported that some experts were concerned that the high levels of the virus's genetic material might make it more infectious and less resistant to the body's immune response. There is no evidence to prove this claim.
The WHO and health officials from South Africa will discuss the variant on Friday.
As cases increase, Austria and Slovakia have imposed lockdowns. Bars and restaurants were ordered to close at 8 p.m. in the Netherlands and Belgium, while essential workers were not allowed to work from home.
The EU is considering similar moves after the UK blocked flights from six African countries.
Business Insider has an original article.
