THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT, I'M LENA TILLETT. >> I'M GERALD OWENS. THE U.K. STRAIN OF COVID-19 COULD SPED QUICKLY THROUGH THE U.S. INCLUDING HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA. RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 88 CONFIRMED CASES IN THE COUNTRY, BUT THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO RISE RAPIDLY. KIRSTEN GUTIERREZ SPOKE TO THE EXPERT WHO SPECIALIZES IN RESEARCHING THIS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS VARIANT. SHE JOINS US LIVE WHERE THIS COULD BE AN ENTRY POINT TO OUR AREA FOR THE VARIANT. KIRSTEN? >> Reporter: GERALD, ACCORDING TO THE CDC RIGHT NOW THERE ARE TEN STATES THAT HAVE THE U.K. VARIANT. NOW SOME OF THOSE STATES LIKE FLORIDA, GEORGIA, AND COLORADO, FLEW IN TO RDU TONIGHT. EXPERTS SAY THIS IS MORE CONTAGIOUS AS THEY TELL ME IT IS NOT ANY DEADLIER. >> AND WE WILL EXPECT THAT THEY WILL BE IN NORTH CAROLINA. IF NOT NOW VERY SHORTLY. >> Reporter: ALTHOUGH NORTH CAROLINA IS NOT CURRENTLY ON THE CDC LIST FOR CONFIRMED CASES CAUSED BY VARIANCE. STATE LEADERS ARE NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES. >> IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE VARIANT IS HERE AND, IN FACT, IT IS LIKELY. WE ARE OPERATING AS IF IT WAS HERE. >> DR. DAVID AT DUKE UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN STUDYING THE U.K. VARIANT IN HIS LAB FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW. >> THESE VARIANCE DO NOT MAKE YOU SICKER, THEY ARE NOT MORE LIKELY TO KILL PEOPLE, BUT TRANSMITTED MORE EASILY. >> Reporter: WHICH IS CONCERNING IN MANY WAYS ESPECIALLY FOR OUR HOSPITALS, WHICH ARE EXPERIENCING THE HIGHEST PEAK OF HOSPITALIZATIONS. >> WE COULD FIND MORE WAYS OF MORE ROOM AND BEDS. BUT IF WE RUN OUT, WE WILL RUN OUT OF CAPACITY. >> Reporter: AS THEY CONTINUE TO FILL UP, MANY ARE WONDERING IF IT WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR THE VACCINE. >> I SUSPECT THAT THEY WON'T BE OR AT WORSE THE VACCINE MIGHT BE LESS EFFECTIVE, BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, PRETTY GOOD AGAINST THE VARIANCE, HOPEFULLY. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL THE TESTS ARE DONE. >> Reporter: WHEN IT COMES TO KNOWING IF YOU HAVE CONTRACTED THE VARIANT, THAT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME. >> IF I'M TESTING POSITIVE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DON'T HAVE THIS U.K. VARIANT, HOW DO I DO THAT? >> UNFORTUNATELY THE TYPE OF GENETIC TESTING, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, THE TESTING IS BEING DONE BY SCIENTISTS. >> Reporter: NOW THEY TELL ME THEY HOPE TO KNOW BY NEXT WEEK IF THE VARIANT WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR THE VACCINES. HE SAYS IF THAT IS THE CASE, WHICH THEY THINK IT WON'T BE, HE SAYS THEY WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS FOR THE VACCINES TO ENSURE EVERYONE WILL BE PROTECTED. BACK TO YOU.