ST. MARY'S, GA. — Public health officials brace for a possible wave of COVID-19 cases in March as the virus mutates and new variants have been detected.
The most common variant is the B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the United Kingdom in November, 2020.
[ RELATED LINK: Coastal GA counties rollout vaccine appointment website ]
It was detected in the United States at the end of December.
Dr. Lawton Davis is the director of the Coastal Health District in Georgia.
He told Action News Jax’s Robert Grant that there could be another wave if people don’t follow CDC guidelines.
According to the CDC, “this variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. In January 2021, experts in the UK reported that this variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, but more studies are needed to confirm this finding.”
Other variants include B.1.351, which was first discovered in South Africa and P.1 which was identified in Brazil.
A representative for the Coastal Health District said while the variant strain has not been detected in Georgia coastal counties, it’s “only a matter of time.”
Dr. Davis said it’s important to remember the vaccine is currently effective against the other strains of COVID-19.
The Coastal District just rolled out its own website for vaccine appointments.
He added if a strain is not susceptible to the vaccine, the technology is in place to change that and it would take a matter of weeks versus months or even years. So far, the CDC reports that the vaccine recognizes all variant strains detected.
[ QUICK LINKS: GA Health Department closes Camden testing sites to meet vaccine demand ]
“These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths,” according to the CDC’s website.