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Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a coronavirus press conference at 10 Downing Street in London, January 22, 2021. Johnson announced the new variant of COVID-19, which was first discovered in the south of England, may be linked with an increase in the mortality rate.
Leon Neal/AP/Shutterstock
Coronavirus variants have been popping up around the globe—which is no surprise, once you understand how mutant germs work. But with ambitious vaccination programs underway, the big question is whether these variants will make vaccines less effective.
It’s normal for viruses to mutate when they make copies of themselves, says Brianne Barker, professor of biology at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. In fact, from March to September, scientists found an average of two new coronavirus variations emerged every month.