A newly identified strain of the coronavirus found in Southern California could contribute to this the drastic peak in cases in the region, according to new research released Monday. The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, found that more than a third of recent COVID-19 patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles were infected with the species, according to a publication summarizing the findings.
The strain, known as CAL.20C, contains five types of recurring mutations. According to the release, it is not yet clear whether it is more deadly than other forms of the virus.
CAL.20C was almost non-existent in October, but by December it accounted for 36% of virus samples from Cedars-Sinai patients and 24% of all samples from Southern California, according to the publication. The species has also been found in Northern California, New York, Washington, DC and even Oceania, the release said.
The double-digit prevalence of the CAL.20C strain in November and December was striking, as it was first observed in July 2020 in just one of 1,230 virus samples in Los Angeles County and was not detected again in Southern California until October. , said Jasmine Plummer, a research scientist at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics and a co-corresponding author of the study.
CAL.20C differs from the fast-spreading variant of the virus first identified in the UK known as B.1.1.7. That strain, which is 50% more contagious than other forms of the virus, has been identified in at least 20 states, according to CBS News’ David Begnaud.
The CAL.20C announcement comes now that Los Angeles County has become a global viral hotspot. One person dies from the virus in the province every six minutes, and there is now such a backlog of bodies air quality rules are detached to allow for more cremations.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, more than 1 million people in the county have been diagnosed with the virus and nearly 14,000 have died – more than any other county in the nation.