TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A new wrinkle in the fight against COVID-19 has emerged: a more contagious variant of the virus has been found in Florida.
So, what does this mean for you at home?
Medical experts believe that this variant is overseas, but it is spreading rapidly all over the world.
WCT is dr. Christie Alexander said she was not surprised to hear that this mutation came to Florida here, given what she heard about its transmissibility.
On Thursday, health officials in Martin County confirmed that the variant that originated in the United Kingdom had been detected in a COVID-19 positive patient.
Dr. Alexander says that the virus is not more deadly than what we have seen, but that it is still a wake-up call to continue wearing masks, avoiding large gatherings and social distance.
She also said medical experts would expect this difficult virus to mutate during this pandemic.
‘Mutations with viruses occur all the time. We see that with the common cold up to the flu virus it is very common for viruses to mutate. “We have not seen one that was a functional mutation,” said Dr. Alexander said.
The good news early here is that experts think the COVID-19 vaccine will still provide protection against this new variant.
Dr. Alexander says the biggest concern is the speed of transfer that could potentially be overwhelming hospitals, so we will keep a close eye on what happens.
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