One of the hottest areas of research right now: studies to determine how well current vaccines work against emerging coronavirus "variants of concern."

It appears to be 50% more infectious, and researchers predict the new coronavirus variant could start to dominate in the U.S. by March. The time to prepare is now, they say.

The newly detected strain — dubbed B.1.1.7 — appears to be more contagious. What precautions might be effective in trying to keep from getting infected?

Gov. Gavin Newsom made the announcement during an online conversation about the pandemic with Dr. Anthony Fauci, but he offered little additional information about the circumstances of the diagnosis.

Even as the European Union began vaccine rollouts on Sunday, nations around the globe are instituting severe lockdowns and travel restrictions. Fear of the U.K. variant is a key reason.