Concern over new coronavirus variants continues to grow as at least one is proven to be more transmissible and another is more resistant to vaccines.
"What it means to me is we need to really double down on our precautions," said Dr. Linsey Marr, Professor of Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech and an expert on aerosols.
Dr. Marr told KCBS Radio's "Ask An Expert" that people should be more stringent with their precautions. For example, consider upgrading your face mask or increasing your distance from other people when you leave your house.
"That’s something I’ve changed myself with the new variants," said Dr. Marr, referring to how she has begun wearing a more effective mask to go grocery shopping.
Many health experts say the variants underscore the need to get the pandemic under control; the more the virus multiples through the population, the more likely it is that new and harmful variants will continue to arise.
Dr. Marr explained that the variants do not actually behave differently in the air, which is why she does not believe it is necessary at this point to make major changes to air quality standards because of the variants.
"With the more transmissible variants, I still think that the combination of masks and social distancing and good ventilation and filtration can adequately bring down the risk to an acceptable level."
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Experts believe the variants are likely to be more transmissible because they are more effective at infiltrating your cells, or because people shed more of them.
"It’s not that the new variants - they can’t actually travel any farther," she explained.
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