Photo by Kashish Patel
A Cartoon of the Corona Virus addressing the nation that there will be more to come. Drawn by Kashish Patel
The Start Of A New COVID Strain
During the year 2020, the world was hit with countless deadly events. COVID-19 was the event that changed all of our lives majorly. Just as we thought the pandemic was getting more in control, a new strain of COVID was discovered. This strain is known as 202012/01. This strain was first found in southern England.
According to many studies, this new strain has a transmission advantage. This means that the virus is likely to spread faster and it has the ability to multiply at a faster rate. Due to the new strain, the city of London has been in complete lockdown for the past few days, and London will continue to stay in lockdown until further notice. As scary as this sounds, the next part is worse. The variant has traveled overseas and was recently found in a man from Colorado. Over the holiday some cases were found in California and Florida, as well. So what are some things that we need to know about this variant?
Though this variant is faster-spreading, CDC has confirmed that this variant is unlikely to challenge the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. The transmission of this variant is allegedly 50% – 70% higher than the normal COVID-19 strain, however, it is less likely to be immensely deadly, but precautions should be taken.
Imperial College London’s Erik Volz and his research team state,
“Social distancing measures will need to be more stringent than they would have otherwise. A particular concern is whether it will be possible to maintain control over transmission while allowing schools to reopen.”
Scientists say that this new strain was produced due to a mutation in the COVID strain. They stress the fact that as long as the virus continues to spread, mutations will be likely to occur and new strains are likely to be produced. In order to limit the spread, the CDC has advised keeping following the Covid-19 safety measures such as wearing masks, physical distancing, and practicing good hygiene. As long as the people continue to follow all the safety precautions the virus has a less likely chance of spreading. To keep you and your family safe, be sure to follow all the precautions.
To know more about the Covid strain click here.