Here Are the Biggest Myths About COVID-19 Variants.
Over the past month, the news has been dominated by reports of COVID-19 variants being found in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil.
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Now those mutated strains are being detected in the United States, leaving many feeling unsettled and uncertain.
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Don’t panic.
Here are the four biggest myths about the COVID-19 variants: debunked.
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Myth 1: The COVID-19 variants came as a complete surprise to health experts.
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According to the CDC, “viruses constantly change through mutation,” meaning these variants were anticipated.
In fact, the variants have likely been around for a while, health officials just didn’t notice due to a lack of genomic sequencing.
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Myth 2: The COVID-19 variants are more deadly.
According to Eric Vail of Cedars-Sinai, variants typically become “more infectious and less virulent.” .
It’s “less likely” that a deadly variant would form because viruses want to spread more, not kill their hosts.
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Myth 3: The current vaccines do not work against the COVID-19 variants.
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The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines appear to protect against the known COVID-19 variants, although they are “less potent” against the South Africa strain.
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Thankfully, mRNA vaccine platforms allow for changes to made quickly, as they can sequence out the specific mutations as they occur.
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Myth 4: We can’t stop COVID-19 variants from spreading.
All of the preventative measures being used to fight the original strain of COVID-19 can also help against the variants.
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The most potent tool: getting vaccinated.