Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli. Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images
The head of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Wuhan Institute of Virology People said that people around the world should be prepared to coexist with different variants of the coronavirus as it continues to mutate, the South Morning China Post reports.
What she's saying: "As the number of infected cases has just become too big, this allowed the novel coronavirus more opportunities to mutate..." top virologist Shi Zhengli said, per the English-language paper in Hong Kong. "New variants will continue to emerge."
- She also urged the public to get vaccinated.
The big picture: Several variants have already emerged around the world, with the Delta variant — originally found in India — becoming the dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- NIAID director Anthony Fauci said that if the current coronavirus surge continues, the U.S. could face a deadlier strain of the virus that could evade the current coronavirus vaccines.
Go deeper: Coronavirus Variant Tracker