Covid-19 variants detected in El Paso causing concern
EL PASO, Texas -- Despite vaccines rolling out, experts are warning that the variants of the coronavirus spreading through El Paso are presenting some cause for concern.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, right now there are 13 cases involving two Covid-19 variants in El Paso, Culberson and Hudspeth counties.
The City of El Paso told ABC-7 there are 11 cases in El Paso alone - 9 are of the UK variant while two others are the California variant.
The vaccines provide significant protection for these variants, but the concern is a new variant might come from these that the current vaccines don’t protect.
"What we do not know yet is how much this variant is going to spread,” Dr. Armando Meza, an El Paso infectious disease expert, said. “We do not know yet how much it can further mutate into other variants and if there will be something that will make our hospitals and our situation worse."
These two variants are more transmissible and have the potential to cause a more severe infection. Because of this Dr. Meza is concerned we could soon see another spike in cases, which is why he says it’s even more crucial people get vaccinated.
