A coronavirus mutation detected in England last month has since swept the United Kingdom, leading to a strict, new lockdown that has closed schools and driven Britons back into their homes.
The variant, called B117, has since been found in dozens of countries, including the United States.
The variant has been confirmed in COVID cases in Colorado, California, Florida and New York, but experts suspect it is far more widespread in the United States.
Coronaviruses mutate frequently and it's rarely a cause for concern, but according to London’s Imperial College, this variant has caused the virus to become between 50 and 70% more transmissible.
Dr. Ricardo Carrion, a virologist at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, leads us on a deep dive into coronaviruses, this mutation, and what it may mean for the newly developed coronavirus treatments and vaccines.
Reported and Produced by: Bonnie Petrie and Dominic Anthony Walsh
Sound Design and Music: Jacob Rosati
Executive Producer: Fernanda Camarena
Host: Bonnie Petrie
TPR News Director: Dan Katz
Texas Newsroom Managing Editor: Mark Memmott
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