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What we can expect from future COVID variants
Josh Cascio reports
TAMPA, Fla. - You may want to brush up on your Greek letters. This cycle, of going from one COVID-19 variant to the next, is likely not going anywhere anytime soon, says Dr. Michael Teng, a public health expert from USF.
It's important to remember, he says: COVID is a global problem, with fires and hotspots burning around the world.
"We keep seeing more variants because there's pretty much uncontrolled transmission in certain parts of the world," Dr. Teng explained.
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The delta variant for example, was first identified in India. Omicron was first spotted in South Africa.
Chances are, new variants are still forming and maybe weeks or months away from spreading.
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What we know about the omicron variant
Scientists are still studying the COVID-19 omicron variant to figure out how potent it is and how easily it can spread. But we are gaining some insight on that can help us prepare and protect ourselves. FOX 13's Craig Patrick sat down with Dr. Cameron Webb, a White House senior advisor on COVID-19, for an update.
"Every time we see the variants now, they're coming out with a huge set of mutations. We have to figure out where they're coming from," Teng said. "We’re seeing 1,000 people die a day in the U.S., still mostly delta. It is a problem and it is not going away if we wish it to go away or not."
Which, he says, is part of the reason why it's just too soon to start "living with the virus," the way we do with the flu or a common cold. That, he says, will come – but not yet.
"Until we're able to control transmission of the virus, we're not going to see this kind of more easy to deal with ebb and flow," he added.
RELATED: Omicron variant: South Africa may offer glimpse into the future