Health officials are glad recent coronavirus numbers are slowing down, but — and there always seems to be a but with the disease — they are worried about the impact of new variants that are becoming more prevalent.
Over the past two months, strains originating out of England, Brazil and South Africa have been mentioned, with the UK strain making it into Kansas almost a month ago. Much more recently, new variants have been discovered in California and New York.
On KVOE’s Morning Show recently, Lyon County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern said the variants bear watching, regardless of where they develop.
The UK variant specifically is more infectious than more established strains, with research indicating people infected by the UK strain being sick as long as 13 days instead of the nine that has become standard with the original version. This means health officials may well have to change some guidance on isolation and quarantine periods. In the meantime, Millbern urges residents to do what they can to reduce the spread.
Millbern says the UK variant is doubling in number every 10 days and could become the dominant strain in the United States by the end of March.
As vaccinations continue, the news on variants calls into question how effective those medications can be. Pharmaceutical companies have said their current vaccines can handle the new strains, but some companies are discussing another round of booster shots, whether in general or against the specific variant.
