<h5>What is COVID-19?</h5>  <p>COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus spreads from the aerosols released by an infected person when they talk, laugh, cough, etc. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, fatigue, breathing problems, and even loss of taste or smell. Some people may show any or all of these symptoms within two to fourteen days while others may show no symptoms at all. </p>
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<p>Like all living organisms, even viruses like SARS-CoV-2 undergo mutations. Minute mutations happen each time the virus spreads to another person. Although the changes caused by mutations are insignificant in most cases, sometimes they can alter the way the virus works. </p>
<p>COVID-19 has infected over 27 crore people across the world. Each infection gives the virus a very small chance to mutate. Out of these infections, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been able to record at least five variants.  
</p> <h5>What are the variants of COVID-19?</h5>  <p>Several variants of the SARS-CoV-2 have been identified across the world. The WHO gives each new variant a name based on a letter from the Greek alphabet. This allows them to keep a track of each variant easily. Such a naming pattern also helps in avoiding discrimination against countries where different variants of COVID-19 have been found. </p>
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Till now, five variants have been discovered - Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. Each of these variants differs in either virality, severity, or symptoms. 
</p> <h5>Are some variants more dangerous than others?</h5>  <p>The Delta and Omicron variants have been designated as ‘variants of concern’ by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention which is the national public health agency of the United States. This designation is usually given to variants that show increased transmissibility, reduced effectiveness of vaccines, or more severe disease. </p>
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<p>The Delta variant is said to be two times more transmissible than the Alpha variant (which itself was twice as transferable as its predecessor). This variant led to a bulk of the hospitalisations across the world. Its severity is said to be lower when people have received all doses of the vaccination (fully vaccinated) against COVID-19. </p>
<p>The Omicron variant has only been detected in November 2021. This variant has a large number of mutations and preliminary data shows that it is even more transmissible than the Delta variant. Scientists are currently studying how this variant affects people who are fully vaccinated.
</p> <h5>How can we protect ourselves from the emergence of such variants?</h5>  <p>The ways to protect ourselves from COVID-19 and its variants largely remain the same. Everyone needs to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible, wear a properly fitted mask and maintain physical distance from other people when possible. People must also wash their hands with soap and water or use a hand sanitiser frequently. </p>
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More infections mean that the SARS-CoV-2 virus will get more chances to mutate. While today’s variant might only be more transmissible, tomorrow’s variant could be more severe. The only way to stop the emergence of more variants is to ensure people get vaccinated as soon as possible. 
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