Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refuted reports of a new strain of coronavirus in the US based on what they said was speculation from Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force.
Birx suggested to other members of the task force that a new species may emerge in the United States based on the rapid proliferation of infections. That hypothesis is included in a summary sent to the governors of the state.
“This fall / winter rise is nearly twice the number of cases as the spring and summer rises. This acceleration suggests that there may be an American variant that has evolved here, in addition to the British variant that is already spreading in our communities. and could be 50% more transferable, ”the report said according to the New York Times.
“Aggressive restriction should be used to match a more aggressive virus,” she added.
The Times reported that the CDC reached out to Birx in an effort to have that suggestion removed from the summary sent to the governors. A source told the Times that the request was denied, much to their frustration.
A spokesperson for the CDC explained in an email to CNBC News why they believed Dr. Birx was premature.
“Researchers have been tracking American strains since the start of the pandemic, including 5,700 samples collected in November and December,” wrote Jason McDonald.
“To date, neither researchers nor analysts at CDC have seen the emergence of any particular variant in the United States, as seen with the emergence of B.1.1.7 in the UK or B.1.351 in South Africa,” he added. .
The Times reported that they had contacted Birx for comment on the dispute, but received no response.
Here’s the latest from the CDC on the pandemic:
CDC: Most COVID-19 transmissions come from people with no symptoms
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