3 Stocks to Buy for the New COVID Variant
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 mutates -- and its newest variant, omicron, mutates a lot. Scientists report there are over 30 mutations affecting the spike protein. And that might be a problem as the COVID vaccines with the highest efficacy rates -- from Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), and Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX) -- all target the spike protein.
On the flip side, it might not be a problem at all. Mutation can sometimes work in our favor, by making a variant much less likely to transmit, for instance. The market crashed earlier this week when the first omicron case in the U.S. was reported in California. A man who caught the variant in South Africa brought it with him to the U.S., yet all the people with whom he had close contact tested negative for COVID-19. Also, the man had only mild symptoms. In fact, in South Africa (where the variant first was identified), hospitalizations did not spike. So maybe this new variant is less deadly than either the original coronavirus strain or the delta variant.
image source: Getty Images.
Source Fool.com
