Stanford researchers have spotted two worrisome coronavirus variants in the Bay Area.
Stanford’s Clinical Virology Lab has been screening samples from across the region to identify new variants and track mutations as they spread, and recently confirmed that two strains first detected in the UK and Brazil have made it to the Bay Area.
It is not clear where in the area the cases were detected, but experts say it underscores the need to step up vaccinations. Doctors say that the longer the pandemic rages on, the more chances the virus has to develop harmful mutations.
"Do we have a specific strategy for dealing with these variants as they pop up? Do we need additional vaccination in and around the cases? Do we need to do more intensive isolation and quarantine efforts? I think these might be the ones that we want to prioritize," said UCSF epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford.
Vaccine makers may also need to determine new protocols to protect against variants as they develop.
"Do we actually put two vaccines in one? Do we give the booster dose with the variant vaccine? Do we hold it off, see what happens or maybe do it as a second round sometime in the future? Those are the things that are up in the air," said Dr. Rutherford.
People who have already received both doses of the vaccine may need to get a booster shot as well.
Both Moderna and Pfizer's vaccines appear to work against the highly contagious UK strain, but less is known about mutations from Brazil and South Africa.
Until now, the UK variant had only been spotted in California in San Diego and San Bernardino counties, but is expected to become the most dominant strain within a few months.
Infectious disease experts say that over time, the virus may actually mutate to become less harmful as pathogens often do.
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