A new, highly communicable variant of the coronavirus first discovered in Britain could become the dominant variant in the United States by March, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Friday.
The variant, known as B.1.1.7, is believed to be twice as contagious as the current version of the virus circulating in the United States. So far, 76 people from 10 US states have been infected with the British variant.
Its rapid spread will increase the burden on health resources at a time when infections are on the rise, further undermining pressured healthcare resources and increasing the need for better adherence to mitigation strategies, such as social distancing and wearing a mask, the company said CDC in its weekly magazine. report on death and illness.
The highly contagious variant also increases the percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinated to achieve protective herd immunity to control the pandemic, the CDC said.
“The increased portability of the B.1.1.7 variant justifies rigorous implementation of public health strategies to reduce transmission and mitigate the potential impact of B.1.1.7, by purchasing critical time to increase vaccination coverage,” wrote US health officials.
The variant, which includes several genetic changes, makes it easier to transmit the virus from person to person. The changes are not believed to cause more serious illness, but the faster rate of transmission will mean more cases and more deaths, the CDC said.
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