How many variants of the coronavirus are there?
There are many people scattered around the world, but health experts are particularly concerned about the rise of three.
Because a virus infects humans, it can mutate because it makes copies of itself. Some mutations can be harmful to a virus and cause it to become extinct. Others can provide an advantage and help spread it.
“Not every mutation is the same,” said Dr. Mary Petrone, who studies infectious diseases at Yale University, said. “The virus is going to be happy now and then.”
Monitoring variants is important because of the possibility that they may make vaccines and treatments less effective or change the way they infect humans.
A mutation early in the pandemic has fueled the spread of the virus around the world, but since then there have been no significant changes – said Ohio State University biologist Daniel Jones.
One of the three main variants that experts are watching was discovered in the UK late last year and has since been detected in dozens of countries. Health officials initially said it did not appear to be causing the disease, but some newer information suggested it was possible – which is currently unknown. It seems to spread more easily, which can lead to more hospitalizations and deaths.
The variant could become dominant in the USA according to March to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other variants that were first detected in South Africa and Brazil also look more contagious, experts say.
Data so far suggests that current vaccines should still protect against these variants, but there are concerns that their efficacy may decrease slightly. There is evidence that some antibody treatments may be less effective against certain variants.
There are ways to tailor vaccines and treatments to maintain their effectiveness, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading American expert in infectious diseases, said.
The emergence of variants is linked to continuous increases as infectious viruses give the chance to mutate and spread. This is another reason why experts emphasize the importance of wearing a mask and social removal.
“The fewer people carry the virus, the less opportunities it has to mutate,” Jones said.
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