U.S. flag An official website of the United States government.
Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

i
i
Up-to-date Information: Up-to-Date Info : To find the latest CDC information on this topic go to: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

About variants of the virus that causes COVID-19​​

Supporting Files Public Domain
File Language:
English


Details

  • Corporate Authors:
    National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (U.S.). Division of Viral Diseases.
  • Description:
    Updated Apr. 2, 2021

    Information about the characteristics of these variants is rapidly emerging. Scientists are working to learn more about how easily they spread, whether they could cause more severe illness, and whether currently authorized vaccines will protect people against them.

    Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic.

    The virus that causes COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, a large family of viruses. Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces. Scientists monitor changes in the virus, including changes to the spikes on the surface of the virus. These studies, including genetic analyses of the virus, are helping scientists understand how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and what happens to people who are infected with it

  • Subjects:
  • Document Type:
    Webpage
  • Place as Subject:
    United States
  • Collection(s):
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha256:78d03396e0b1ca0625d828f83ad849cd26a2ab1c3905b7731655e3633c7bf467
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 166.36 KB ]

Supporting Files

PREVIOUS
File Language:
English
ON THIS PAGE
Details Supporting Files
CDC STACKS serves as an archival repository of CDC-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other public health information authored or co-authored by CDC or funded partners.

As a repository, CDC STACKS retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
BACK TO TOP