While federal health officials
are warning most about the Delta variant — the B.1.617.2 strain first seen in
India — other variants are also gaining ground in
parts of the US.
One of
them is the Gamma variant, also known as P.1, which spread fast to dominate in
Brazil.
"We've
seen it across the state, of course, but we're seeing it in some outbreaks in
eastern Washington, we're seeing it in counties with low vaccination rates, and
I'm very concerned the role that this P.1 is going to take. It has increased
its percentage in this state," said Dr. Scott Lindquist, an epidemiologist
for Washington state.
Gamma is
classified as a variant of concern by the CDC. A variant of concern shows
evidence of increased transmissibility, more severe disease, lower antibody
effectiveness, lower treatment effectiveness, or diagnostic issues, according
to the CDC.
So far,
none of the most common variants show much ability to evade the effects of full
vaccination. But several have shown the ability, both in laboratories and in
real life, to re-infect people who recovered from natural coronavirus
infection, and to infect people who have been only partly vaccinated.
But fully vaccinated people had a strong and broad immune response that should take care of the variants, vaccine experts agree.
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