8 Ways to Protect Yourself from the New Coronavirus Strains

• Three known variant strains of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, have been identified.
• Experts believe the variants could be as much as 50 percent more infectious than the original virus.
• There are ways to reduce your risk of contracting the variants.

If it wasn’t widely known before the pandemic, the general public is quickly learning that viruses change through mutation, and new variants of a virus like the novel coronavirus are expected to occur over time.

At least three known variant strains of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, have been identified and studied.

“People need to be concerned about the new strains for many reasons: There is evidence that these new strains may be 50 percent more infectious than the original virus, which would be expected to lead to a massive spike in new cases, as the new strains increase in prevalence,” Dr. Scott Braunstein, medical director of Sollis Health in Los Angeles, told Healthline.

Braunstein said the increase in cases could overwhelm health systems and lead to untold “preventable” deaths due to a lack of resources, such as ICU beds, ventilators, and nursing staff.

Though much is still being studied about the variants — how easily they spread, if they cause more severe illness, and if current vaccines will protect against them — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the following is known about the variants.

• B.1.1.7 variant has a large number of mutations. It emerged in the United Kingdom and has made its way across the world, including to the United States and Canada. Though it spreads more easily and quickly than other variants, it is unknown whether it causes more severe illness or an increased risk of death.

• 1.351 emerged in South Africa. It is independent of the variant detected in the United Kingdom, but it does share some mutations. Cases have occurred outside of South Africa, but it has not been detected in the United States.

• P.1 was identified in four travelers from Brazil tested during screening at Haneda Airport outside Tokyo. It has not been detected in the United States. This variant contains a set of additional mutations that may affect its ability to be recognized by antibodies.

Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and host of “Super Awesome Science Show,” noted that an increase in transmissibility with certain variants is expected.

“This should not come as a surprise as viruses tend to mutate regularly, and those better suited to our bodies tend to grow in number and eventually become dominant,” he told Healthline.