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VIDEO: An Easy Way To Understand Coronavirus Variants — Using Puzzle Pieces

When will the pandemic end? How many more COVID-19 waves will the U.S. go through? Will we go back to "normal" in the fall? All these questions depend largely a one key factor: how the variants behave.

As the virus spreads around the world, it mutates — which all viruses do. Along the way, variant strains emerge. Some of these variants are more effective at infecting humans and spread more quickly. Some variants may be better at evading the immune system and are more likely to cause a second bout of COVID-19.

Variants with these properties have caused massive waves of COVID in Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom — and now India. And in our interconnected world, they are already spreading to many other countries.

How does a mutated version of the virus improve its chances of being transmitted to humans? How does it avoid recognition by the immune system? If you imagine viruses as puzzle pieces, as this video does, that can help explain what's happening when a coronavirus variant comes into contact with human cells.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD, is a correspondent for NPR's Science Desk. For nearly a decade, she has been reporting for the radio and the web for NPR's global health outlet, Goats and Soda. Doucleff focuses on disease outbreaks, cross-cultural parenting, and women and children's health.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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