Increased Spread of COVID-19 Variants Increase Criticality of Protections

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The new COVID-19 variants, which have become prevalent in both the U.K. and South Africa, have garnered a great deal of attention. These variants are also spreading globally. As noted in the CDC’s New COVID-19 Variants publication of January 3, “Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time.” COVID-19 is no exception.

 

With the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, TAG has received numerous questions about them, and their impacts on the U.S. Following are some answers on what we know at this point.

• The variants have become increasingly prevalent in Britain and South Africa. Both countries are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of COVID-19 variant cases.

• While the variants are different in the two countries, they both seem to spread more easily and more quickly than other variants we’ve previously encountered.

• However, at this time, there is no evidence that the variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death.

• The U.K. variant has now been detected in other countries, including both the United States and Canada.

• While there are no conclusive studies on the cause of the increased spread, some well-designed studies show a higher viral load in the nose and throat of those infected – which could cause more particles to be emitted through talking, coughing, and even breathing. This highlights the importance of wearing a face covering or mask to cover both nose and mouth.

 

Although we’ve repeated this numerous times before, this increased viral spread emphasizes the importance for businesses to continue all COVID-19 precautions. Precautions must include wearing masks, enforcing six-foot distancing, encouraging handwashing, and implementing enhanced sanitation. Employees should be encouraged to continue these practices both inside and outside of work hours.