The COVID-19 pandemic is still in full swing throughout the country, according to health experts, even as reported cases are down from what they were months ago. While case confirmations may be decreasing currently, one of the biggest concerns felt by most are the reported new variants of the virus. These new forms of it could render the newly discovered vaccines to the virus ineffective.

“So far, these variants are still pretty much covered by the current vaccines that are available,” said Erin Biilups, Spectrum News health reporter. “These mutations are happening in a way that is helping this strain that we know, evade our immune system.”

Billups says these same sort of mutations that are happening in the United States are happening elsewhere. She says the key is to keep the virus from finding a home in other hosts. One way to keep the virus from finding a host to mutate within is getting vaccinated against the virus.