Things You Didn’t Know About The COVID-19 Mutation

When the pandemic began, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused COVID-19 has been mutating. All living creatures can propagate, and the same is true with viruses. Bacterial multiplication is a natural phenomenon in its environment but sometimes goes too far and produces erroneous copies of themselves, leading to mutation or a new breed of its kind.

Three mutations from the original virus strain are closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to learn more about these variants. They will communicate any new information to the public once it is available. Countries worldwide are encouraged to continually conduct a test to release people from tension caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The New COVID-19 Variants

Towards the end of December 2020, a report from the UK came and named the virus the B.1.1.7 variant. Fast forward to the end of January 2021; two new variants emerged as well. One is from South Africa, known as the B.1.351, and another is from Brazil, namely the P.1 variant. This immediately banned flights in some countries or stricter health protocols like presenting a COVID fit to fly certificate to health agencies from travelers before proceeding with scheduled flights.

Are They More Contagious?

While CDC closely observes the three identified variants, there are other mutations that health experts are concerned about. The recent mutation is the D614G gene that might make the virus more contagious in human respiratory epithelial cells, as observed in the laboratory. Furthermore, researchers say that there is still insufficient evidence that the new strains cause milder or severe disease in humans.

With all this information available, the public is strongly encouraged to take necessary precautions and continue observing safety health protocols to stop the spread of any potential virus. And if you ask, “Where could be a fit to fly COVID test near me?” to help you gauge to continue with your travel or not, go for it. It is always said that prevention is better than cure.

See this infographic to know more.