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</ iframe > </noscript> <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) --><div id="header"> <div id="CClogo"><a href="https://www.cookchildrens.org"><span class="srText">Cook Children's</span></a></div> <div id="CCsearch"> <form id="searchform" name="searchform" method="GET" onsubmit="return (this.q.value == '') ? false : true;" action="/CookChildrens/en/parents/"> <input type="hidden" name="search" value="y"/> <input type="hidden" name="getfields" value="description"/> <input type="search" class="search" name="q" id="q" maxlength="256" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" placeholder="Search"/> <input type="hidden" name="datasource" value="cookchildrens"> <input type="hidden" name="start" value="0"> <input type="hidden" name="rows" value="10"> <input type="hidden" name="lang" value="english"> <input type="hidden" name="section" value="parents_teens_kids"> <input type="submit" value="" id="searchButton" class="buttonImage"/> </form> </div> </div> <!-- If we have main navigation separated then it will reside here --> <div id="thelou" tabindex="-1"> </div> <div id="mainContentContainer" class="kh-article-page"> <div id="rsSearchBrowse"> <div id="rsBrowse" role="navigation"> </div> <div id="rsSearch"> <div id="rsSectionLabel">parents</div> </div> </div> <div id="khContentHeading" class="ar licH"> <h1>Coronavirus (COVID-19): What Are Variants?</h1> </div> <div class="clearBox"> </div> <div id="khcontent"> <div id="xp1"> </div><br clear="all" style="width: 0; height: 0; line-height: 0; font-size: 0;"><div id="khcontent_article" lang="en-us"> <div id="NavigatePage1"> <div id="whichRead_1"><span class="ISI_MESSAGE"><!-- The following article is brought to you by CookChildrens. --></span><div class="rs_skip rs_skip_en rsbtn_kidshealth rs_preserve" id="readspeaker_button1"><script> var theRSURL = (escape(document.location.href)); var rsAudioTitle = document.title.replace(/ |\'|\?/g,"_"); var whichReadPage = 1; var doesItGotFlash = ''; makeTheRSLinkEN(); var readSpeakerDownloadLink = "//app-na.readspeaker.com/cgi-bin/rsent?customerid=5202&lang=en_us&voice=Kate&speed=100&readid=khcontent_article&url="+theRSURL+"&audiofilename=KidsHealth_"+rsAudioTitle+""; </script></div> <!--googleoff:all--> <div id="languagePairLink" class="rs_skip"><a href="/CookChildrens/es/parents/covid-delta-variant.html?WT.ac=pairedLink"><span class="pairedURLHead" lang="es">en español<img src="/images/n00/icons/langPairArrow.svg" alt=""></span><span class="pairedURLBody" lang="es">Coronavirus (COVID-19): ¿Qué son las variantes?</span></a></div> <!--googleon:all--><div class="rte-image"><!--<sly data-sly-test.buttonBorder="khb-noborder"></sly> --><p>As the <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/coronavirus.html">COVID-19</a> pandemic evolved, we heard about “variants” of the virus that were different from the original one that started the pandemic. Here are the basics on variants.</p><h3>What Is a Variant?</h3><p>When <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/germs.html">viruses</a> spread, they make copies of themselves. As they do, they often mutate, or change, a little bit. A copy that is different from the original virus is called a <strong>variant</strong>. Sometimes variants don’t seem that different from the original virus. Others may have clear differences.</p><p>The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has gone through this type of changing process many times during the pandemic. Each time a new coronavirus variant emerges, the World Health Organization (WHO) gives it a name based on a letter from the Greek alphabet. Variants of note include alpha, delta, and omicron.</p><h3><strong>How Can Variants Differ From the Original Virus?</strong></h3><p>Variants can differ from the original virus based on:</p><ul><li>how contagious they are</li><li>how sick they make people</li><li>how they respond to vaccines and medicines</li><li>whether people can get infected with the virus more than once</li></ul><h3>What Can Protect People From These Variants?</h3><p>In general, the steps that experts have recommended to protect us from the original virus also can work to stop the spread of other variants.</p><p>It is still very important to keep doing the things that are in our control, such as:</p><ul><li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/covid-vaccines.html">getting vaccinated</a> and getting all recommended <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/booster-shots.html">booster shots</a></li><li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/hand-washing.html">washing hands</a> well and often<br /></li><li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/coronavirus-tests.html">testing</a> and <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/coronavirus-isolation-quarantine.html">staying home</a> when necessary</li><li>making sure indoor spaces are well-ventilated</li></ul><h3>What Else Should I Know?</h3><p>Scientists are working on a new updated vaccine that can protect against more recent variants. It will likely be ready for use by the fall of 2023.</p></div> <div id="reviewerBox"> <div id="reviewedBy">Medically reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD</div> <div id="reviewedDate">Date reviewed: August 2023</div> </div><span class="ISI_MESSAGE"><!--Thank you for listening to this KidsHealth audio cast. The information you heard, is for educational purposes only. If you need medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment, consult your doctor. This audio cast is Copyrighted by KidsHealth. All rights are reserved.--></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <!--googleoff:all--> <div id="relatedBoxParents" class="t1 "> <div id="navTabs"> <ul id="navTabsPKT" role="tablist" aria-labelledby="moreOnThisTopicHeader"> <li role="presentation" class="wascurrent" id="PKTtabTeens"><button class="PKTJSTButton" role="tab" id="teens_tab" aria-controls="relatedArticlesListTeens" aria-selected="false" tabindex="-1"><span>for Teens</span></button></li> <li role="presentation" class="wascurrent" id="PKTtabKids"><button class="PKTJSTButton" role="tab" id="kids_tab" aria-controls="relatedArticlesListKids" aria-selected="false" tabindex="-1"><span>for Kids</span></button></li> <li role="presentation" class="current" id="PKTtabParents"><button class="PKTJSTButton" role="tab" id="parents_tab" aria-controls="relatedArticlesListParents" aria-selected="true" tabindex="0"><span>for Parents</span></button></li> </ul> </div> <div id="mainBar"> </div> <div id="mrLinks"> <h2 id="moreOnThisTopicHeader">MORE ON THIS TOPIC</h2> <ul id="relatedArticlesListParents" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="parents_tab"> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/covid-vaccines.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Coronavirus (COVID-19): Questions & Answers About Vaccines</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/coronavirus.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Coronavirus (COVID-19)</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/coronavirus-child-is-sick.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Coronavirus (COVID-19): What to Do if Your Child Is Sick</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/flu-vs-cold.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Is It a Cold, the Flu, or COVID-19?</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/contagious-illnesses.html?WT.ac=p-ra">When Is an Illness Contagious?</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/hand-washing.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Hand Washing: Why It's So Important</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/coronavirus-landing-page.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Understanding Coronavirus (COVID-19)</a></li> </ul> <ul id="relatedArticlesListKids" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="kids_tab"> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/kids/germs.html?WT.ac=p-ra">What Are Germs?</a></li> </ul> <ul id="relatedArticlesListTeens" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="teens_tab"> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/fighting-germs.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Fighting Germs</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="boxBreaker"> </div> <div id="zeroTester"> </div> <div id="relatedButtonsHolder"> <div id="relatedButtonsBoth"> <ul> <li id="relatedPrinterButton"><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/covid-delta-variant.html?view=ptr&WT.ac=p-ptr" rel="nofollow" onclick="printWindow(this.href); return false;" title="This link will open in a new window.">Print<span class="newWindowIcon_leftSpace"> </span></a></li> <li id="relatedEmailFriendButton"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.kidshealth.org/CookChildrens/en/parents/covid-delta-variant.html?view=emailto&WT.ac=s2af-en-parents-covid-delta-variant.html" target="_blank" title="This link will open in a new window.">Send to a Friend<span class="newWindowIcon_leftSpace"> </span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div><br clear="all"></div><br clear="all"><script>window.onload=setVars('');PKTChoose(7,1,1,0);</script><div id="kh_lic_footer"> <nav aria-label="Content info"> <ul id="kh_lic_footer_links"> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/editorial-policy-licensee.html">Editorial Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/policy-licensees.html">KidsHealth Privacy Policy & Terms of Use</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/copyright.html">Copyright</a></li> </ul> </nav> <div id="kh_lic_footer_legalease"> <p><img lang="en" alt="A KidsHealth Education Partner" src="/images/n00/logos/eduPartner3.svg"> Note: All information is for educational purposes only. 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