A new COVID-19 variant has been detected in several western states. These states include Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Earlier this year, scientists began keeping track of the new variant in Europe. Since then, it has rapidly spread through parts of Europe and now the U.S.
COVID Strains and Subvariants
SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that continuously evolves as changes in the genetic code caused by genetic mutations or viral recombination occur during the replication of the genome. It is a virus that has many lineages that all of which cause COVID-19.
A number of prominent variants have been seen since the beginning of the pandemic. These include Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron. Since the virus can evolve, it’s not a surprise when new variants emerge.
Omicron’s subvariants include BA.5, BQ.1, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1.5. Each variant and subvariant have a different severity than the original. Some can be more contagious, however, contain mild symptoms. Others can be harder to contract while packing a bigger punch. Meaning it causes severe symptoms including hospitalization or death.
New Variant Strain
The new strain is a descendant of the Omicron variant. Additionally, the EU.1.1 is just one of the new strains being tracked by the CDC and WHO. Currently, the EU.1.1 represent 1.7% of COVID cases nationwide.
However, there is a chance the EU.1.1 has reached a high of 8.7% in COVID cases in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah. Currently, it is uncertain if the new variant has any new or different symptoms.
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
WZFG The Flag: New COVID-19 variant reported in North Dakota and several other states
Medical Daily: What’s EU.1.1? CDC Tracks More Distant Descendant Of XBB.1.5 COVID Variant
Yale Medicine: Omicron, Delta, Alpha, and More: What To Know About the Coronavirus Variants
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Davide Costanzo‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Jessie Mislavsky / MTA Courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
