There have been various strains of COVID-19 that have popped up over the past year, however, three new variants of the virus have caught health organizations’ attention from around the world. The three new variants originated from the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa.
The U.K. variant B.1.1.7 was first discovered in London and has since made its way to the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predict that this variant will be the dominant strain in the U.S. by March. It may be more lethal than other strains, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.
P.1, the Brazil variant, first made an appearance in the United States in Minnesota brought by a traveler coming back from a trip to Brazil. The Minnesota Department of Health believes this new variant is more transmissible and capable of immune evasion.
And the third variant, 501Y.V2, found in South Africa, has not been reported to be in the U.S. so far. 501Y.V2 has been found to be more transmissible but not more lethal, and it appears that it is affecting younger rather than older people. This variant may be more resistant to antibodies, said the former director of Food and Drug Administration Scott Gottlieb.
Bio-tech company Moderna has claimed that their vaccine is equipped to protect against new strains, however, more so the U.K. strain than the South African strain. Pfizer has made the same claim.
With these three new possibly dangerous variants, wearing face coverings, social distancing and hand washing is absolutely critical. Students should not become lenient when wearing face coverings on campus and should continue to limit social gatherings. Students, faculty and staff should encourage each other to keep face coverings on when in public and when in close contact, even if they’re quickly walking by.
The U.K. variant, B.1.1.7, has already made an appearance in Harris County, Texas.