Scientists have identified seven new coronavirus variants that have emerged in the United States, according to a study awaiting peer review.
All seven variants contained a similar mutation and were found to have emerged as early as July 2020. Scientists say it's not surprising that they're just now identifying new viral variants in the U.S., but it's too soon to know what, if anything, these variants mean for Americans.
These variants add to a growing list of new variants now found within the United States, including the variants first discovered in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa. Scientists have also identified variants that first emerged on U.S. soil, including variants originating in the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California and the Midwest.