Should We Be Worried About the New COVID-19 Mutation?
A new variant of COVID-19 was identified in the UK, and with cases increasing each day around the world, should we be worried?
A new variant of the novel coronavirus has been identified in the United Kingdom, and the health minister warned that it could be more dangerous. The mutation has resulted in over 1,000 new cases. So far, there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease, more hospitalizations, or more deaths, but some experts believe this new strain may have a substantial increase in transmissibility.
Here in the United States, the COVID situation is worsening day by day. As of right now, there are more than 18M cases and over 325K deaths. Will this new mutation spread to the USA, and if so, should the general public be worried? Let's find out.
Should We Be Worried?
According to Brian Labus, Ph.D., MPH, there isn't an exact definition of what a new strain is. “In general, it means that the virus is different in either the way it spreads or the way it interacts with the immune system, due to one or more mutations,” he says.
Researchers are usually able to identify new strains due to their genetic code and also from the way they interact with other organisms.
The fact of the matter is that viruses mutate all the time. Most new variants die out within a few months or so, and many of them spread without altering the virus's behavior. It’s only very rarely that these new mutations actually bring about dramatic changes. Labus believes that just a mutation is not a significant cause for concern.
“Many mutations do not affect the virus, as there is a lot of redundancy in the genetic code. Some are harmful and make it harder for the virus to spread, and those will quickly disappear from the population,” Labus states. “The ones that help it survive or spread more easily are the ones we are concerned about.”
That being said, many European countries and the UK have initiated another lockdown, and this time it's due to the new strain. Many European health experts said that the variation spreads much faster than COVID-19. This begs the question: should Americans be worried? If such a strain is identified in the United States, the COVID situation will become worse. The United States has the most coronavirus cases worldwide, and this new mutation will increase the number of cases and deaths to a whole new level. We believe that as of now, Americans should not be worried about the new variation, however, it is still important to take safety measures to stay safe from COVID-19.
Will a Vaccine Protect Us Against the New Mutation?
According to experts, current vaccines that are being developed are more than likely to be able to handle new strands of COVID-19. Federico Giorgi, a researcher at the University of Bologna, states, “The SARS CoV-2 coronavirus is presumably already optimized to affect human beings, and this explains its low evolutionary change. This means that the treatments that we are developing, including a vaccine, might be effective against all the virus strains.”
By researching the virus, scientists and experts may be able to learn more about the new coronavirus strain and observe how it adapts to different temperatures and humans, and hopefully, this research will help to combat COVID-19.
It will take time for the first vaccines to have the impact needed. The current vaccines bear many side effects but are used anyway to possibly prevent the chance of anyone contracting the coronavirus. Research is still being done on the coronavirus, and as more data is collected, the vaccines will become more advanced.
Protect Yourself and Others From COVID-19
Keep in mind that although vaccines are being created and distributed around the world, it is still imperative to practice safety measures such as social distancing, wearing masks, and taking care of personal hygiene. If these are not observed, the risk of contracting any viruses or mutated strains can increase dramatically.
Also, please remember that the virus is supposed to get worse during the wintertime, and with the holidays and the new year around the corner, it is especially important to take safety precautions. The world as a whole must take steps together to minimize the effect of COVID-19, and we must hope that in the end, science and research will prevail.
