New COVID variants are a reminder of coronavirus reality-the virus is still evolving

New COVID variants are a reminder of coronavirus reality Even with COVID at a low point, the virus is still circulating and evolving. Adriel Bettelheim Axios

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As much as the public wants to move on — and has moved on — from the pandemic, uncertainty about the coronavirus' evolution means those who remain the most vigilant can't fully shake the pandemic experience.

• That uncertainty is compounded by the recent phaseout of mandated hospital reporting of respiratory virus activity, and the demise of other metrics that helped track disease spread during the pandemic's dark days. ...