New year, new strain

A new strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been detected in more than 30 countries around the world, including the United States.

It was first identified in the United Kingdom on Dec. 14, 2020. Later that month, Colorado, California and Florida reported cases of the new strain.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the new strain appears to spread more easily than the previously detected strain of the virus that causes COVID-19. However, there is no evidence the new variant, known as B.1.1.7, causes more severe illness or increased risk of death.

Will the vaccines work?

There is no current evidence to suggest vaccines will not be effective against the new strain, said Mobeen Rathore, MD, chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology for Wolfson Children’s Hospital. “Getting the vaccine remains the best option to protect individuals and the community against COVID-19.”

This new coronavirus strain ups the urgency to get as many people vaccinated as possible in order to achieve herd immunity, which occurs when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely. Herd immunity is usually achieved through vaccination.

By taking the same precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, namely, social distancing, handwashing and mask-wearing, we can collectively fend off this new threat, Dr. Rathore said.

At Baptist Health, we want to help keep our community informed about COVID-19. For information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit baptistjax.com/covid19vaccine.