You may have seen a news report or social media post about coronavirus variants. But what is a variant? And what does it mean for you? Keep reading to learn what COVID-19 variants are, how they happen, if vaccines can protect against variants, and more.
The word “variant” means “different” or “modified.” A coronavirus variant is a different version of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Viruses constantly change as they spread to more and more people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1 This process is called “mutation.”
These mutated—or new—versions of a virus are called “variants.”
It is natural for variants to form. Some variants disappear over time. Others continue to spread and grow in number.
Experts have found many coronavirus variants in the U.S. and around the world. There are three variants that have been in the news lately:
All three variants have been found in the U.S., the CDC confirms.1 They seem to spread more quickly than the original and cases are rising in many states.
Here is more information on these three variants:
Over the coming months, you may hear about more variants as the virus continues to spread.
Scientists are trying to understand how well COVID-19 vaccines work on variants.
The CDC says1 COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. should work against these variants. But evidence is limited on how variants will affect how vaccines work in real-word conditions. The CDC said it will continue to monitor variants and how they affect COVID-19 vaccines.
So long as the coronavirus continues to spread, new variants will develop. This fact is why it is important to stop the spread of COVID-19. And the best way to stop the spread is through vaccination, physical distancing, mask wearing, and other CDC-recommend strategies.
If you’re wondering whether the COVID-19 vaccines are safe, check out these two articles where we discuss vaccine safety:
1 When you click this link, you will leave the Commonwealth Care Alliance website.
Sources: CDC; ABC News; Reuters