At the end of last year, it was revealed that two new variants of the COVID-19 were identified in South Africa and England, both much more transmissible than the original. On Thursday, several cases of the new mutation were identified in the United States. CDC is now offering guidance and information about the variants, as well as what is being done by them to control the spread. Keep reading – and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss out on these Clear signs that you’ve had the coronavirus.
The CDC first explains that the mutations are completely normal and expected. “Viruses constantly change through mutations and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Sometimes new variants appear and disappear. Other times, new variants appear and persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID- 19 were documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic, “they write.
While multiple variants of COVID-19 are circulating globally, in the United Kingdom (UK), “a new variant has emerged with an exceptionally large number of mutations,” they reveal. First detected in September, “it is now highly prevalent in London and southeastern England. Since then, it has been detected in several countries around the world, including the United States and Canada.”
There is also another variant that “emerged independently of the variant detected in the United Kingdom” in South Africa, which shares some mutations with the variant detected in the United Kingdom. There have been cases caused by this variant outside South Africa.
They also note that another variant has recently emerged in Nigeria. “The CDC is also monitoring this strain, but at the moment, there is no evidence to indicate that this variant is causing more serious illnesses or increasing the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria,” they said.
Compared to the original COVID-19, the new ones are more transferable. “This variant seems to spread more easily and quickly than other variants”, warns the CDC.
However, they point out that so far, “there is no evidence that it causes more serious illness or an increased risk of death.”
Although scientists have some knowledge about the new variants, they are still working to learn more and understand how these new variants have spread, how the new variants differ and how the disease caused by these new variants differs from the disease caused by other variants that are currently circulating. By studying them, they hope to understand whether variants spread more easily from person to person, cause milder or more serious illnesses in people, are detected by viral tests currently available, respond to drugs currently being used to treat people for COVID-19, changing the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines (“There is no evidence that this is occurring, and most experts believe it is unlikely to occur due to the nature of the immune response to the virus,” they add.)
According to the CDC, they, in collaboration with other public health agencies, are monitoring the situation closely. “CDC is working to detect and characterize emerging viral variants and expand its ability to search for COVID-19 and new variants,” they wrote. “In addition, the CDC has staff available for local support to investigate the characteristics of the viral variants. As new information becomes available, the CDC will provide updates.”
RELATED: Dr. Fauci just said when we would go back to “normal”
As for you, protect yourself from all variants of the virus, following Dr. Anthony Fauci’s fundamentals and help stop this wave, no matter where you live – use one face mask, social distance, avoid large crowds, do not go home with people you are not sheltering (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, be vaccinated when it is available to you and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 places you’re most likely to reach COVID.