It’s been about a year since the early coronavirus alarms were raised, and despite a decline in infections, new fears are rising up. New COVID-19 variants are making pessimists worry that an even bigger next wave may be coming.
It’s true that the virus is mutating in ways more profound than biologists anticipated last summer. But new research also suggests that there may be limits to how many tricks the coronavirus has up its sleeve — and that may make it easier for vaccines to keep up.
If scientists have been somewhat blindsided by the variants, it’s because they hadn’t fully realized the way the coronavirus tends to mutate — in a way that’s distinct from influenza or HIV. This virus has a talent for shape-shifting by dropping pieces of its genetic code.