New variants of the coronavirus can keep appearing as long as the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic keeps infecting people. But that does not mean they will be more dangerous. With more than half of the world still not vaccinated, the virus will likely keep finding people to infect. It will then create copies of itself for several months or years to come. And each time a virus makes a copy of itself, a small mutation could happen. Those changes could help the virus survive and become new variants. Andrew Read is a virus expert at Pennsylvania State University. He said when a virus infects a new body, it needs to change itself to agree with the body so it can spread more widely. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that the Delta variant can spread two times faster than earlier versions of the virus. Dr. Adam Lauring is a virus and infectious disease expert at the University of Michigan. He said while the virus could still mutate to become more infectious, it probably would not double the rate it can spread again. Lauring added, “there is not an infinite number of things it can do.” It is possible that the virus could become deadlier. But experts believe it is not likely to happen. Extremely sick people are also less likely to socialize and spread the virus to others. Experts are now watching to see if new variants could be better at avoiding the protection people gain from vaccination and infections. Dr. Joshua Schiffer is a virus expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. He said as more people get the shots, the virus would have to spread through people who have some defense against the virus, or immunity, for it to survive. “The virus could take on a mutation that makes the immune response less effective,” he said. If that happens, scientists may suggest that vaccines be changed with new information to fight appearing variants. It would be like how shots for the flu, another virus, are changed every year.
Title: Can New Variants of the Coronavirus Keep Appearing?
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title=' Can New Variants of the Coronavirus Keep Appearing?' data-article-id='5945'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='13292'>New variants of the coronavirus can keep appearing as long as the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic keeps infecting people. </span> <span data-start-time='13292' data-end-time='18458'>But that does not mean they will be more dangerous.</span> <span data-start-time='18458' data-end-time='29375'>With more than half of the world still not vaccinated, the virus will likely keep finding people to infect. </span> <span data-start-time='29375' data-end-time='36813'>It will then create copies of itself for several months or years to come. </span> <span data-start-time='36813' data-end-time='45063'>And each time a virus makes a copy of itself, a small mutation could happen. </span> <span data-start-time='45063' data-end-time='52500'>Those changes could help the virus survive and become new variants.</span> <span data-start-time='52500' data-end-time='59750'>Andrew Read is a virus expert at Pennsylvania State University. </span> <span data-start-time='59750' data-end-time='72500'>He said when a virus infects a new body, it needs to change itself to agree with the body so it can spread more widely.</span> <span data-start-time='72500' data-end-time='87917'>The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that the Delta variant can spread two times faster than earlier versions of the virus.</span> <span data-start-time='87917' data-end-time='98292'>Dr. Adam Lauring is a virus and infectious disease expert at the University of Michigan. </span> <span data-start-time='98292' data-end-time='110000'>He said while the virus could still mutate to become more infectious, it probably would not double the rate it can spread again. </span> <span data-start-time='110000' data-end-time='117229'>Lauring added, “there is not an infinite number of things it can do.”</span> <span data-start-time='117229' data-end-time='122083'>It is possible that the virus could become deadlier. </span> <span data-start-time='122083' data-end-time='126750'>But experts believe it is not likely to happen. </span> <span data-start-time='126750' data-end-time='135313'>Extremely sick people are also less likely to socialize and spread the virus to others.</span> <span data-start-time='135313' data-end-time='148479'>Experts are now watching to see if new variants could be better at avoiding the protection people gain from vaccination and infections.</span> <span data-start-time='148479' data-end-time='160104'>Dr. Joshua Schiffer is a virus expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. </span> <span data-start-time='160104' data-end-time='174667'>He said as more people get the shots, the virus would have to spread through people who have some defense against the virus, or immunity, for it to survive.</span> <span data-start-time='174667' data-end-time='183438'>“The virus could take on a mutation that makes the immune response less effective,” he said.</span> <span data-start-time='183438' data-end-time='195063'>If that happens, scientists may suggest that vaccines be changed with new information to fight appearing variants. </span> <span data-start-time='195063' data-end-time='202917'>It would be like how shots for the flu, another virus, are changed every year.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18204 data-hint-location='36813' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/what_is_a_mutation.wav'>What is a mutation?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='the changing of a gene leading to an unusual characteristic in a plant or animal'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/the_changing_of_a_gene_leading_to_an_unusual_characteristic_in_a_plant_or_animal.wav'><span>the changing of a gene leading to an unusual characteristic in a plant or animal</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/the_state_of_being_free_from_tension_and_anxiety.wav'><span>the state of being free from tension and anxiety</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/a_person_receiving_or_registered_to_receive_medical_treatment.wav'><span>a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/a_small_booklet_or_leaflet_containing_information_or_arguments_about_a_single_subject.wav'><span>a small booklet or leaflet containing information or arguments about a single subject</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18205 data-hint-location='72500' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/how_much_faster_can_the_delta_variant_of_covid19_spread.wav'>How much faster can the Delta variant of COVID-19 spread?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='two times faster'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/two_times_faster.wav'><span>two times faster</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/three_times_faster.wav'><span>three times faster</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/four_times_faster.wav'><span>four times faster</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/five_times_faster.wav'><span>five times faster</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18206 data-hint-location='117229' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/it_is_possible_that_the__blank__could_become_deadlier_.wav'>It is possible that the <span class='blank'>virus</span> could become deadlier. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='virus'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/virus.wav'><span>virus</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/polls.wav'><span>polls</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/revision.wav'><span>revision</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5353/attic.wav'><span>attic</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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