The coronavirus pandemic that started in 2020 continues to infect people worldwide. The total cases have now reached 113 million, with the US, India, Brazil, Russia, and the United Kingdom among countries greatly affected in terms of case count. As economies are slowly getting back, industries like tourism and hospitality management that are greatly affected now issue mandatory PCR tests for employees and PCR swab test results or certificates from tourists doing local or foreign travel.

But just as efforts to curb the virus are in effect, upgrades versions of the SARS-CoV-2 that caused COVID-19 emerged.

The New COVID-19 Strains

The continual change in the virus’s genetic code led to discovering three new strains of COVID-19  in three different countries. Medical experts closely monitor the B.1.1.7 strain found in the UK, the B.1.531 that emerged in South Africa, and the P.1 variant from Brazil.

 Upon discovering the new strain that made a sweeping increase in the UK in the fall of 2020, community-wide lockdowns again took place with stricter health protocols, and demands for Manchester, London, and Leeds PCR test, to name a few, increased.

The Experts’ Concern

The newer variants of the COVID-19 virus are making progress in multiplying in their environment, human cells. Though observations are done in a laboratory facility, the variants appear to be more dangerous but most likely are less deadly. The only thing that worries health experts is the contagion that the virus imposes. 

These mutated versions make it easier for the virus to clip onto human cells and breed, making speedy transmission from one person to another. On the other hand, the infection experienced by symptomatic patients does not seem worse. But as far as health is concerned, the public is still encouraged not to lower their guard and follow health protocols to fight the coronavirus.

To know more about the recent COVID-19 mutation, take a look at this infographic.