Michigan has not had any reported cases of a COVID-19 variant, yet, but health officials are concerned about how the presence of one could impact the spread.
"Having done so much for the last couple of weeks and months to get to this point...I just don't want something to happen where we're going to see our numbers come back up," said Brian Hartl, an epidemiologist with the Kent County Health Department.
After a months-long surge starting back in late October, the number of people testing positive and being hospitalized for COVID-19 are staying level and restrictions are being rolled back.
The presence of a variant in itself is not uncommon, Hartl says.
"We see it every year with the flu virus. A flu virus always goes through changes and so these variants or mutations are not uncommon for viruses," he said.
But, a variant first discovered in the United Kingdom and now in the U.S., has been found to spread more quickly and easily, according to the Center for Disease Control.
"That's a potential for us to see those numbers rise, and while we don't have any evidence right now that the new variant causes more severe disease, if it get into certain populations, it can cause really big consequences," Hartl said.
The good news is that the available information indicates that the vaccine is still effective against variants. Though that puts more pressure on a rollout that's been slow to get off the ground.
"It's great that it's here, but the fact that our supply is limited, it's a problem," Hartl said.
Local providers say they've struggled to plan large scale clinics due to inconsistent shipments that fall short, which the state has attributed to the federal government.
There are still many unknowns at this point about COVID-19 variants. Hartl says at the local level they are doing surveillance, and to residents, he advises to keep doing what's worked.
"Really the basic precautionary measures that we've preached for months is what we can do right now in terms of preparing for this," Hartl said.
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