A new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 was identified in the United Kingdom a few weeks ago. Cases have been reported in two states and are not known to be linked to travel, which could indicate community spread.  No cases caused by this new variant have been confirmed in Illinois yet.  As more information is learned, IDPH will provide updates and notify the public if/when the variant is detected in Illinois.  Illinois is increasing its surveillance for the variant by performing genomic sequence testing on an increased number of specimens that have been collected. Virus mutation is common and can emerge and disappear quickly.  Some mutations can emerge that help a virus spread more easily, cause infection to be more or less severe, or lead to resistance to treatments or vaccines.  Based on the information available now, the effectiveness of the vaccine has not changed.  Public health experts are working to better understand the potential impact of this variant, including how the variant spreads and how it affects people who are infected.