The 1-year anniversary of the global coronavirus pandemic has arrived and with it hopes that the FDA-EUA vaccines will soon mitigate transmission. Clinical trials for more vaccines are ongoing, while questions about the genetic variants continue.Can you believe there are over 468, 000 sequences of SARS-CoV-2 globally! (Like other RNA viruses, CoV-2 constantly changes through mutation, with new variants occurring over time.) To date only 3 specific viral lineages are of public health concern either because they are more transmissible, cause more severe illness, or can elude the immune response. These merit close monitoring.
Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Experts also believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. However, scientists are still learning how well vaccines prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to others. Scientists are also researching whether or not the current vaccines we have available are effective in combating these new strains of the CoV-2 virus. So even after vaccination, we need to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic. Everyone should continue to:
Mark your calendars
