As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage a year after it began, several variants have appeared across the United States and neighboring countries. These are a primary concern for the Centers for Disease Control, which continue to monitor them as researchers become aware of new symptoms and strains.
These variants are a major concern for the medical community. Jorge Rodriguez, a CNN medical analyst, told the network’s viewers that it is likely variants will come from the virus.
“The more infection there is in a community, in a country, the [more] certainty that there will be variants,” said Rodriguez. “The virus’ goal is to survive so it will be the strongest variant that will eventually survive.”
The variants that have been detected recently seem to spread with more ease, and there is concern these strains will become dominant in the United States by the spring. Although vaccines provide limited protection against these variants, they usually prevent you from getting extremely sick or hospitalized.
The CDC is advising that everyone continue to wear their masks, practice social distancing, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated areas, and limit travel.
