coronavirus variant

State health officials are raising concerns about a variant of COVID-19 linked to multiple outbreaks in California. They’re investigating if the coronavirus vaccines could be less effective with this particular variant around. Christine Kim reports for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2021.

Nearly one year into the pandemic, COVID-19 is spreading at record high rates in the United States, and with it, new variants of the virus are emerging. Last week, researchers in Ohio said they identified two unique variants in Columbus, NBC News reports.

The UK variant of the coronavirus, that is likely more transmissible, has been confirmed in LA County. Darsha Philips reports for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2021.

New York joined a growing number of states on Monday to confirm the presence of a new strain of the coronavirus that’s believed to be at least 50 percent more contagious.

Scientists say there is reason for concern but not alarm about new variants of the coronavirus

Colorado Governor Jared Polis said Tuesday the COVID-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom had been detected in Colorado. U.K. scientists believe the variant is more contagious than previous strains of the virus.

A Colorado man who became the first reported person in the U.S. to have a COVID-19 variant that is spreading in the United Kingdom hadn’t been traveling, health officials said Monday, triggering a host of questions about how the new strain showed up in the Rockies.