From what I've been reading it seems like scientists didn't really have much confidence on stating what the effect of the California variants mutations were. They suspected things about the variant but it was only really until this week that I've read they have more confidence that it is more transmissible, more deadly and has immune escape.

It's interesting because until now I think only the e484k mutation has been associated with immune escape. I don't think the CA variant has the e484k mutation, so it could be an unfamiliar mutation causing it?