New travel restrictions have been introduced to and from the United Kingdom.
Infectious disease experts said changes in the virus’s genetic code and variations on it are to be expected.
“Most of these variations mean nothing, they don’t deliver, they are very minor, but every now and then it can change some of the virus’s characteristics, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse,” explains Dr. Irfan Hafiz, infectious disease specialist in Northwestern medicine.
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Scientific models, not data, have shown that the new variety is much more contagious.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s already here in the United States, that’s essentially the nature of viruses, they mutate,” says Dr. Richard Novak, the UIC Infectious Disease Director.
While there are claims of higher transmissibility, the good news is that experts say that doesn’t mean the new variety is more deadly or more resistant to vaccines.
“There doesn’t seem to be any hard evidence, but that needs to be studied a bit further. If anyone is planning to get vaccinated, I would encourage you not to change that at this point,” Hafiz said.
The Moderna vaccine is due to ship this week, and scientists continue to hope that vaccines will be effective in containing the pandemic.
But scientists said a new variant does mean that the coronavirus will not disappear and can exist for a long time.
“This is a wake-up call that we must be absolutely vigilant and not on our guard, we must continue to monitor and respond to all virus changes,” he said.
Infectious disease experts stressed the importance of monitoring any breakthrough infections in vaccinated people.
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