How many variants of the coronavirus are there?

How many variants of the coronavirus are there?

There are many circulating around the world, but above all, health experts are concerned with the emergence of three.

When a virus infects people, it can mutate by copying itself. Certain mutations can be harmful to a virus and cause it to disappear. Others may offer a benefit and help it spread.

“Not all mutations are created equal,” said Dr Mary Petrone, who studies infectious diseases at Yale University. “The virus is going to get lucky once in a while.”

Monitoring for variants is important because they could make vaccines and treatments less effective or change the way they infect people.

A mutation at the start of the pandemic fueled the spread of the virus around the world, but there has been no noticeable change since – until recently, the Ohio State University biologist said, Daniel Jones.

One of the three main variants that experts are watching was discovered in the UK late last year and has been detected in dozens of countries since. Health officials initially said it did not appear to make the disease worse, but some more recent information suggests it might – it remains unknown at this time. It seems to spread more easily, which could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths.

The variant could become dominant in the United States by March, according to at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other variants first detected in South Africa and Brazil also appear to be more contagious, experts say.

Data so far suggests that current vaccines should still protect against these variants, although their effectiveness may be slightly diminished. There is some evidence that some antibody treatments may be less effective against certain variants.

There are ways to adjust vaccines and treatments to maintain their effectiveness, said Dr.Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease specialist.

The emergence of variants is linked to ongoing outbreaks because infections give viruses the opportunity to mutate and spread. This is another reason why experts stress the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing.

“The less humans there are with the virus, the less chance it has to mutate,” Jones said.

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