This explainer is more than 90 days old. Some of the information might be out of date or no longer relevant. Browse our homepage for up to date content or request information about a specific topic from our team of scientists.
This article has been translated from its original language. Please reach out if you have any feedback on the translation.
Scientists are working to better understand the new variants (or versions) of the COVID-19 virus, how they spread, if vaccines will be effective, if the new variants are detectable by viral tests, and whether the variants cause mild or severe disease. Information about new variants of COVID-19 is changing quickly. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that the new COVID-19 variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death. However, there is some evidence that suggests that one mutation (D614G) may spread more quickly than other variants. Viruses constantly change as they reproduce in order to keep spreading into more cells. These changes are called "viral mutations." Mutations create a new, updated version of the virus, which we call a "strain" or "variant" (though other similar words include "lineage" and "mutant"). These variants may have different properties than previous versions of the virus and may allow the virus to infect more people or may cause more severe illness. Many variants of COVID-19 have been documented globally, and scientists are continuing to monitor the virus as it changes and spreads around the world. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, international health agencies and the public health community continue to encourage the everyone to wear face masks (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask or individual KN95/N95 masks), practice social distancing (maintaining 6 feet/2 meters physical distance), avoid crowds especially in indoor areas, and practice frequent hand washing with soap and warm water.
Scientists are working to better understand the new variants (or versions) of the COVID-19 virus, how they spread, if vaccines will be effective, if the new variants are detectable by viral tests, and whether the variants cause mild or severe disease. Information about new variants of COVID-19 is changing quickly. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that the new COVID-19 variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death. However, there is some evidence that suggests that one mutation (D614G) may spread more quickly than other variants. Viruses constantly change as they reproduce in order to keep spreading into more cells. These changes are called "viral mutations." Mutations create a new, updated version of the virus, which we call a "strain" or "variant" (though other similar words include "lineage" and "mutant"). These variants may have different properties than previous versions of the virus and may allow the virus to infect more people or may cause more severe illness. Many variants of COVID-19 have been documented globally, and scientists are continuing to monitor the virus as it changes and spreads around the world. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, international health agencies and the public health community continue to encourage the everyone to wear face masks (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask or individual KN95/N95 masks), practice social distancing (maintaining 6 feet/2 meters physical distance), avoid crowds especially in indoor areas, and practice frequent hand washing with soap and warm water.
Scientists are working to better understand the new variants (or versions) of the COVID-19 virus, how they spread, if vaccines will be effective, if the new variants are detectable by viral tests, and whether the variants cause mild or severe disease. Information about new variants of COVID-19 is changing quickly. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that the new COVID-19 variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death. However, there is some evidence that suggests that one mutation (D614G) may spread more quickly than other variants.
Viruses constantly change as they reproduce in order to keep spreading into more cells. These changes are called "viral mutations." Mutations create a new, updated version of the virus, which we call a "strain" or "variant" (though other similar words include "lineage" and "mutant"). These variants may have different properties than previous versions of the virus and may allow the virus to infect more people or may cause more severe illness. Many variants of COVID-19 have been documented globally, and scientists are continuing to monitor the virus as it changes and spreads around the world.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, international health agencies and the public health community continue to encourage the everyone to wear face masks (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask or individual KN95/N95 masks), practice social distancing (maintaining 6 feet/2 meters physical distance), avoid crowds especially in indoor areas, and practice frequent hand washing with soap and warm water.
Scientists are working to better understand the new variants (or versions) of the COVID-19 virus, how they spread, if vaccines will be effective, if the new variants are detectable by viral tests, and whether the variants cause mild or severe disease. Information about new variants of COVID-19 is changing quickly. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that the new COVID-19 variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death. However, there is some evidence that suggests that one mutation (D614G) may spread more quickly than other variants.
Viruses constantly change as they reproduce in order to keep spreading into more cells. These changes are called "viral mutations." Mutations create a new, updated version of the virus, which we call a "strain" or "variant" (though other similar words include "lineage" and "mutant"). These variants may have different properties than previous versions of the virus and may allow the virus to infect more people or may cause more severe illness. Many variants of COVID-19 have been documented globally, and scientists are continuing to monitor the virus as it changes and spreads around the world.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, international health agencies and the public health community continue to encourage the everyone to wear face masks (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask or individual KN95/N95 masks), practice social distancing (maintaining 6 feet/2 meters physical distance), avoid crowds especially in indoor areas, and practice frequent hand washing with soap and warm water.
Research about the virus that causes COVID-19, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is ongoing, and scientists and researchers are continuing to learn and understand how the virus spreads, how long it can live outside of host cells, and how it affects different people around the world. Another major area of interest is understanding how the virus mutates (or changes). Some viruses mutate as part of their life cycle, and sometimes these changes can impact humans by making the virus easier to spread or more likely to cause serious infection.
RNA viruses, such as influenza and measles, are more prone to mutations than DNA viruses, such as herpes and human papillomavirus. Coronaviruses are RNA viruses that generally mutate slower than influenza. Some forms of SARS-CoV-2 have mutated and now look different than the original version of it found in China. More research is needed to understand the implications of any mutations in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Research about the virus that causes COVID-19, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is ongoing, and scientists and researchers are continuing to learn and understand how the virus spreads, how long it can live outside of host cells, and how it affects different people around the world. Another major area of interest is understanding how the virus mutates (or changes). Some viruses mutate as part of their life cycle, and sometimes these changes can impact humans by making the virus easier to spread or more likely to cause serious infection.
RNA viruses, such as influenza and measles, are more prone to mutations than DNA viruses, such as herpes and human papillomavirus. Coronaviruses are RNA viruses that generally mutate slower than influenza. Some forms of SARS-CoV-2 have mutated and now look different than the original version of it found in China. More research is needed to understand the implications of any mutations in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.