UPDATE 2-New York officials downplay concern over new coronavirus variant

(Adds details about New York variant study; additional studies of California variant)

By Peter Szekely

NEW YORK, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Mayor Bill de Blasio’s chief medical adviser on Thursday downplayed the results of two studies suggesting that a new coronavirus variant found in New York City in November will be more resistant to vaccines now being administered.

Dr. Jay Varma said it was premature to infer from laboratory results how effective the vaccines would be on the variant, echoing concerns of other scientists who questioned why preliminary studies are given to the media ahead of academics.

“We really don't know enough about human immunity to draw those direct conclusions,” Varma said at a briefing along with the mayor. “That's why we do clinical trials. That's where we collect data continuously.”

Clinical trials of the vaccines, Varma noted, including those done in other countries, such as Brazil and South Africa, have shown that they are “incredibly effective” at preventing death and severe illness.

Highly contagious variants of the virus first discovered and now prevalent in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Brazil have been spreading widely to other countries.

In the United States, where the virus has taken more than 500,000 lives over the past 13 months, new infections and deaths have been on the decline in recent weeks.

Hospitalizations - a key indicator for public officials worried about straining local healthcare systems - were down nearly 60% from their Jan. 6 peak at 53,938 patients, according to a Reuters tally.

Even with the declining trend, California reached a grim new milestone as its cumulative coronavirus death toll topped 50,000 on Wednesday, more than any other state, followed by New York, the early epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, with 46,871 fatalities to date.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had estimated that 45.2 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of the authorized two-shot COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech SE or from Moderna Inc. Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine is expected to be authorized for emergency use within days.

'SAFE AND EFFECTIVE'

President Joe Biden, marking the 50 millionth dose to be given since he took office, said his administration plans to launch a massive campaign to educate Americans about coronavirus vaccines in anticipation of a period later this year when supply may outstrip demand because of vaccine hesitancy.