Connecticut lawmakers joined scientists for an update on the common variants of COVID-19.

Doctors from Yale School of Medicine and the Jackson Laboratory have been working together on COVID-19 surveillance systems for the state.

More than a year ago, a coronavirus test only could tell if COVID-19 was detected or not.

Dr. Mark Adams from Jax Genomic Medicine says early mutations, which are common, contributed to the rapid spread.

"There were many different variants, lineages, strains, varieties of COVID-19 that were circulating throughout the United States," Adams says.

Scientists say the most common variants spreading across our country stem from the U.K., South America, California and New York.

The B1.526 and B.117 variants are the most common in Connecticut now, scientists and doctors say.

Dr. Nathan Grubaugh from Yale School of Public Health broke down sequencing information by region with most samples coming from New Haven.

"B.117 in particular has progressively taken over," Grubaugh says.

Right now, Dr. Adams says it's a race for who is faster: the protective vaccine or rapidly spreading variants.

"Data right now shows that with the declining case count in the state that vaccination is winning out," Adams says.

The South African and Brazilian variants are the most concerning for vaccine effectiveness, but experts say those numbers are low in Connecticut.

Dr. Grubaugh says everyone needs to work together globally.

"It shows when you have these situations like this that are happening in India, how they can actually have a potentially direct impact on the United States. We're all in this together," Grubaugh says.