How many variants of the

coronavirus are there?

There are many

circulating around the world, but health experts are primarily concerned with

the emergence of three.

As a virus

infects people, it can mutate as it makes copies of itself. Some mutations can

be harmful to a virus, causing it to die out. Others can offer an advantage and

help it spread.

“Not every mutation

is created equal,” said Dr Mary Petrone, who studies infectious diseases at

Yale University. “The virus is going to get lucky now and again.”

Monitoring variants is

important because of the possibility that they could make vaccines and

treatments less effective, or change the way they infect people.

A mutation early

in the pandemic fuelled the spread of the virus around the world, but there had

been no notable changes since — until recently, said Ohio State University

biologist Daniel Jones.

One of the three

main variants experts are watching was discovered in the United Kingdom late

last year and has been detected in dozens of countries since. Health officials

initially said it didn’t seem to cause worse disease, but some newer

information suggests it might — that remains unknown at the moment. It does appear

to spread more easily, which could lead to more hospitalisations and deaths.

The variant

might become dominant in the US by March, according to the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention.

Other variants

first detected in South Africa and in Brazil also appear more contagious,

experts say.

Data so far suggests current vaccinesshould still protect against these variants, though there’s some concern theireffectiveness may be slightly diminished. There is some evidence that someantibody treatments may be less effective against certain variants.

There are ways

to adjust vaccines and treatments to maintain their effectiveness, said Dr Anthony

Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert.

The emergence of

variants is linked to ongoing surges since infections giveviruses the chance to mutate and spread. It’s another reason experts stress theimportance of mask wearing and social distancing.

“The fewer humans carrying the virus, the fewer opportunities it has to mutate,” Jones said.

–AP