Carilion Clinic expert says vaccines can prevent more COVID-19 variants

Expert: Vaccines will ‘tamp down the degree of mutation and the chance of variants’

ROANOKE, Va. – As concerns grow over COVID-19 variants, a Carilion Clinic health expert says you should get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can because it can help stop the virus from mutating.

Research suggests the UK variant could be about 30-40% more contagious than the original strain of the virus.

Carilion Clinic’s Chair of Medicine, Dr. Paul Skolnik, said the current vaccines are effective, especially at preventing serious illness and hospitalization.

“If we can tamp down the pandemic now and the original strain. That will tamp down the degree of mutation and the chance of variants,” said Skolnik.

He added that with variant strains spreading across the country, we should work harder to wear masks, avoid crowds, and social distance.


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