COVID Variant Coverage

Your voice could soon provide clue as to whether you're infected with coronavirus
Steve Hoover, vice president of laboratory operations for Raleigh-based Mako Medical, discusses the company's efforts to test for coronavirus variants and a new app that can recommend people for virus testing by the sound of their voices.

COVID-19 shots might be tweaked if variants get worse
The makers of COVID-19 vaccines are figuring out how to tweak their recipes against worrisome virus mutations — and regulators are looking to flu as a blueprint if and when the shots need an update.

NC surpasses 10,000 COVID deaths
Over the last 11 months, people from every demographic, age bracket and corner of the state have died due to the virus.

COVID test facility identifies 5 UK variant cases, 1 Denmark variant in NC
Based on the MAKO laboratory team's recent sequencing of indicated samples, MAKO identified thirty-five variant cases.

Models predict NC's COVID death rate will slow over next few months
According to the IHME model, the best case scenario would result in an additional 3437 people in North Carolina dying by May 1, down from nearly 5200 deaths experienced over the past three months

Vaccines effective against coronavirus variants for now, Duke expert says
The variants could put more strain on area hospitals, as they are believed to be more contagious than the virus the U.S. has been battling for almost a year.

Virus variants pose new threats to US
At least three cases of a coronavirus variant that originated in the United Kingdom have been detected in North Carolina, and at least two cases of a second variant, first found in South Africa, have been reported in South Carolina.

SC officials discuss new virus variant
South Carolina health officials hold a news conference to discuss cases of a South African coronavirus variant in the state.

Double up: New COVID-19 variants prompt fresh mask warning
As more variants are identified, health experts are looking into how they respond to current COVID treatments and vaccines, concerned these mutations could accelerate the pandemic.

Mako Labs identifies COVID variant in NC
Not all labs are testing for the variant on the COVID-19 virus, so it may well be present and spreading in the Triangle.

Understanding true threat of COVID-19 variant will take time, money
Not all labs are testing for it, so the COVID-19 variant first detected in the UK a month ago may well be present and spreading in the Triangle.

CDC reviewing new data that suggests coronavirus variant identified in UK could be more deadly
CDC modeling shows this new variant, which has been shown to spread especially quickly, could become the predominant variant in the United States by March.

NC reports first case of highly-contagious COVID-19 variant
According to officials, 195 cases of the COVID variant, called B.1.1.7., have been reported in 21 states as of Jan. 22.