* World faces around 4,000 variants of novel coronavirus
* UK trials combining Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines
* UK says vaccines likely to work on different variants
* All drugmakers looking to improve vaccines for new variants (Adds quotes from researcher, background on trial)
LONDON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - The world faces around 4,000 variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, prompting a race to improve vaccines, Britain said on Thursday, as researchers began to explore mixing doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots in a world first.
Thousands of variants have been documented as the virus mutates, including the so-called British, South African and Brazilian variants which appear to spread more swiftly than others.
British Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi said it was very unlikely that the current vaccines would not work against the new variants.
"Its very unlikely that the current vaccine won't be effective on the variants whether in Kent or other variants especially when it comes to severe illness and hospitalisation," Zahawi told Sky News.
"All manufacturers, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca and others, are looking at how they can improve their vaccine to make sure that we are ready for any variant - there are about 4,000 variants around the world of COVID now."
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WNU Editor: This is probably true .... British scientists say the next dangerous Covid variant is likely already out there. We just don't know it yet (CNN).
Update: The development of new Covid-19 vaccines may take 30 - 40 days. The manufacturing of these vaccines will take longer .... UK could make Covid variant vaccine in 30 to 40 days, minister says (The Guardian).
