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When the COVID-19 virus began, the world assumed that was all we would have to fight against. Little did we know that the pandemic would only worsen with time, and more dangerous variants would continue to threaten us. But the question remains: how do the variants occur?
AFC Urgent Care Burlington provides COVID testing and information about the vaccine. Visit or call us today to get tested and get all of your questions answered.
How Variants Happen
Just as the rule of nature shapes the evolution of plants, animals, humans, and all other living things, similarly, it shapes viruses as well. Viruses are not living things, but they do reproduce, and they depend on a host organism for it. Viruses face subjection to evolutionary pressures, despite being non-living. If you study the human immune system, you will observe how it fights pathogens by employing several tactics. The battle begins when the pathogens try to evade our immune system and create more duplicates of themselves to spread to other hosts.
The virus has characteristics that carry out its job and generally keep from one generation to the next. But characteristics that thwart the virus’s attempt to spread to other hosts can be lost too. Consider a virus with a mutation as an example. Such a mutated virus can be deadly to a human host and may even kill them within a few hours of developing the infection. If the virus wants its descendants to survive, it will need a new host before killing the one inside whom it resides. If the virus kills its primary host before infecting others, won’t the mutation disappear? Of course, it will!
This is how variants develop. When a particular virus appears different from the other infects a host, it has an absolute advantage. The host does not have pre-existing immunity from the anti-bodies to that new virus form. Hence, many adaptations to viruses are common and involve alterations or changing a virus’s outer surface.
How to Stay Safe from New Variants
- Experts tell us that the best form of protection against the variants is to adhere to prevention’s ABCs. This approach first came to prevent measles when there was no vaccine, but it works in the new virus variants.
- Limit your socializing and interaction with people out of your home.
- Do not hesitate or delay shifting to a work from the home model if it is possible. Similarly, online schooling is also a great way of safeguarding your children for now.
- Avoid unnecessary outings and excursions. Shop online for as many things as you can. That would help keep money in circulation while the economy is suffering and also maintain social distancing.
- Use a mask and sanitizer.
When the COVID-19 virus began, the world assumed that was all we would have to fight against. Little did we know that the pandemic would only worsen with time, and more dangerous variants would continue to threaten us. But the question remains: how do the variants occur?
AFC Urgent Care Burlington provides COVID testing and information about the vaccine. Visit or call us today to get tested and get all of your questions answered.
How Variants Happen
Just as the rule of nature shapes the evolution of plants, animals, humans, and all other living things, similarly, it shapes viruses as well. Viruses are not living things, but they do reproduce, and they depend on a host organism for it. Viruses face subjection to evolutionary pressures, despite being non-living. If you study the human immune system, you will observe how it fights pathogens by employing several tactics. The battle begins when the pathogens try to evade our immune system and create more duplicates of themselves to spread to other hosts.
The virus has characteristics that carry out its job and generally keep from one generation to the next. But characteristics that thwart the virus’s attempt to spread to other hosts can be lost too. Consider a virus with a mutation as an example. Such a mutated virus can be deadly to a human host and may even kill them within a few hours of developing the infection. If the virus wants its descendants to survive, it will need a new host before killing the one inside whom it resides. If the virus kills its primary host before infecting others, won’t the mutation disappear? Of course, it will!
This is how variants develop. When a particular virus appears different from the other infects a host, it has an absolute advantage. The host does not have pre-existing immunity from the anti-bodies to that new virus form. Hence, many adaptations to viruses are common and involve alterations or changing a virus’s outer surface.
How to Stay Safe from New Variants
- Experts tell us that the best form of protection against the variants is to adhere to prevention’s ABCs. This approach first came to prevent measles when there was no vaccine, but it works in the new virus variants.
- Limit your socializing and interaction with people out of your home.
- Do not hesitate or delay shifting to a work from the home model if it is possible. Similarly, online schooling is also a great way of safeguarding your children for now.
- Avoid unnecessary outings and excursions. Shop online for as many things as you can. That would help keep money in circulation while the economy is suffering and also maintain social distancing.
- Use a mask and sanitizer.
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