Wondering About COVID-19 variants?

This week, the Oregon Health Authority released more information regarding COVID-19 variants.

Here are some key takeaways:

• A COVID-19 variant is a form of the virus which has mutated over time.
• There are two types of COVID-19 variants: variants of concern and variants of interest.
• Scientists monitor how the COVID-19 virus changes to understand how these changes affect characteristics of the virus such as how easily the virus spreads or how many severe infections it causes.
• CDC and OHA considers the existing vaccines as highly effective against severe illness and death caused by all variants of COVID-19.
• Both agencies are closely monitoring five variants of concern and five variants of interest.

For more information and resources regarding COVID-19, visit the Oregon Health Authority website.