A British doctor has forecast COVID-19 evolving to become less severe and endemic, and said the highly-transmissible but milder Omicron variant is the beginning of the process. “The thing that might happen in the future is you may see the emergence of a new variant that is less severe, and ultimately, in the long-term, what…

COVID-19 variants cases have already been found in all provinces, causing outbreaks in long-term care homes and derailing election plans in Newfoundland and Labrador. Genetic mutations often occur in viruses, and SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is no exception. When the changes are significant, the new mutated form is called a variant. A variant…

LOS ANGELES—The first two cases of a South African variant of COVID-19 were confirmed in California Feb. 10—but not in the Southland—with Gov. Gavin Newsom saying one case each was detected in the Bay Area counties of Alameda and Santa Clara. “The issue of mutations is top of mind, not only here in the state…