How are different COVID-19 variants tracked and monitored?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring COVID-19 mutations and variants in the US and globally through a process called genomic sequencing. This allows scientists to monitor how the virus changes over time into new variants. It also helps us understand characteristics of the virus and how it might impact public health. As the CDC and public health partners continue to use genomic sequencing, we will improve our understanding of which variants are circulating in the US, how quickly variants emerge, and which variants are the most important to track.