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Evolution.

This is what all the variants of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are a result of.

The virus’ genetic code has been mutating slowly as it spreads from person to person across the globe since the beginning of the pandemic.

For a while, the mutations didn’t faze scientists too much as they scuttled for a working vaccine, mostly because mutations are fairly normal and are even known to weaken a virus.

But now, after at least three mutated variants of SARS-CoV-2, researchers are showing some concern.

Per Vox, there’s B.1.1.7, the variant first detected in the UK in September, which scientists suggest is more transmissible (or contagious) than past versions of SARS-CoV-2, and there’s some preliminary evidence that it might be slightly more deadly, too.

The two other variants, one first identified in South Africa in October, and another in Brazil in December, are a little bit less understood, but are found to evolve in ways that evade the human immune system to some degree.

The COVID-19 virus may continue to evolve because mutations are normal, but this could be even more detrimental than what has come before.

The only possible way to stop the virus from making any more changes is to stop giving it so many opportunities to mutate through spreading.

Besides Vox’s article about the four reasons we’re seeing these worrying COVID-19 variants more and more, particularly now, there’s also a short but helpful video that explains it, too:

[source:vox]