SARS-COV-2: What are variants & strains and why are they important?

Any changes in the viral genetic sequence during replication is known as a mutation and viruses with new mutations are sometimes called variants. Variants can differ by one or multiple mutations. When a new variant with one or multiple mutations shows functional properties different from the original virus and becomes established in a population, it is referred to as a new strain of the virus. All strains are variants, but not all variants are strains.

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