Coronavirus mutates: Are new Covid strains cause for concern?
Updated Dec 21, 2020;
Posted Dec 21, 2020
Christmas shoppers in Oxford city centre England, Sunday Dec. 20, 2020. Millions of people in England have learned they must cancel their Christmas get-togethers and holiday shopping trips. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that holiday gatherings can’t go ahead and non-essential shops must close in London and much of southern England.Steve Parsons/PA via AP
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Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say it’s unclear if that’s the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease.
Explainer: Are new COVID-19 strains deadlier than previous ones? Here s what we know
Health experts in the U.K. and U.S. said the strain seems to infect more easily than others, but there is no evidence yet it is more deadly.
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Viruses naturally evolve as they move through the population, some more than others. It’s one reason we need a fresh flu shot each year. (Photo | AP) By Associated Press
Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say it’s unclear if that’s the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease.
Are new coronavirus strains cause for concern? Here s what to know nola.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nola.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Charting the Virus
Good morning. We look at the latest data on the virus, in three charts.
Let’s check in on the latest coronavirus data this morning, with help from three charts.
The first shows that the situation in Europe has worsened over the past week but not nearly to the level of the U.S.:
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Credit.By The New York Times | Sources: Hospitals and health agencies, World Bank
Controlling a pandemic during the fall and the winter is simply more difficult than during warmer months, when people can comfortably spend time outdoors. Experts long predicted that the later months of the year would be difficult in much of the world, and those predictions proved to be correct.
AP EXPLAINER: Are new coronavirus strains cause for concern?
Christmas shoppers in Oxford city centre England, Sunday Dec. 20, 2020. Millions of people in England have learned they must cancel their Christmas get-togethers and holiday shopping trips. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that holiday gatherings can’t go ahead and non-essential shops must close in London and much of southern England. (Steve Parsons/PA via AP)
A man walks past a closed shop on Regent Street in central in London, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. Millions of people in England have learned they must cancel their Christmas get-togethers and holiday shopping trips. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that holiday gatherings can’t go ahead and non-essential shops must close in London and much of southern England. Johnson imposed a new, higher level of coronavirus restrictions to curb sharply spreading infections in the capital and other areas. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)