A resident of Long Island in Nassau County has the first known case of the COVID-19 variant from South Africa, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday. The highly transmissible B.1.351 variant, first identified in South Africa, may decrease the effectiveness of some vaccines.
A study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the ability of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine to neutralize the South African variant was reduced by two-thirds. In January, Moderna also said that his vaccine was less effective against the B.1.351 variant in lab experiments, but that his vaccine would still provide some level of protection against the variant.
Drug manufacturers Novavax and Johnson & Johnson also announced in late January that their vaccine candidates, which are not yet to be approved for use by the FDA, appear to be significantly less effective against the South African variety. Their research does indicate that their vaccines hold up well against the native coronavirus and the UK variant, which Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), predicted to be the dominant COVID-19 strain in the Could be US. the end of March. The UK variant is currently doubling about every ten days in the US, according to a study published Feb. 7.
Earlier this month, South African health officials halted the rollout of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine after a study found “disappointing” results against the B.1.351 variant. The country had received 1 million doses of the vaccine and was about to give it to the public.
In the US, the variant has been detected in at least nine states so far, including a Connecticut resident who tested positive for the variant during his hospitalization in NYC last week. The UK variant is currently more prevalent in New York State, with 70 confirmed cases according to the CDC, and Cuomo has said the state is currently in a “foot race” between the spread of the new variants and the number of people vaccinated.
“With the discovery of a case of the South African variant in the state, it is more important than ever for New Yorkers to remain vigilant, wear masks, wash hands and stay socially aloof,” Cuomo reiterated in a statement Sunday. . “We are currently in a race – between our ability to vaccinate and these variants actively trying to multiply – and we will only win that race if we stay smart and disciplined.”
The statewide positive test rate for COVID-19 is currently at 2.99% over an average of seven days, according to Cuomo’s office, which noted that this is the first time the statewide positivity rate has been reported since Nov. 23. below 3 percent. Data from the State Health Department shows NYC with a positive test rate of 4.4% over an average of seven days.
Further details about the Nassau County resident with the South African variant were not readily available. It is unclear whether the person has recently left the country. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said in a statement, “We don’t believe the South African variety is more deadly, but it could be more contagious.”