| The emergence of variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, reminds us that we all need to redouble our efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is more important than ever that we all wear well-fitting masks, stay at least 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with us, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, and wash our hands often. These practices and the continued effort to vaccinate more people can help end this pandemic.
Some of these variants seem to spread more easily and quickly, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources and lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths.
So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants. This is being closely investigated, and more studies are under way. |
