Scientists in Los Angeles County have begun examining samples of COVID-19 found in patients to determine if a new, more contagious strain of the virus from Britain has made its way to the west coast of the US.
The new species is particularly concerning given the ease with which it spreads from person to person, although it is unclear if it is more deadly than the strand that has been spreading for months.
LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told the Los Angeles Times in an interview posted Friday that a public health lab is conducting gene sequencing to test virus samples.
“When I spoke to the State Department of Public Health, they said they looked and didn’t think they saw the new strain,” Ferrer said. But you know, you have to know what you’re looking for. So I think everyone at this point who sees these kinds of spikes wants to see clearly, “Do we have that particular variant?” “
The comments come as the county sees an increase in the number of cases. On Thursday alone, more than 13,600 new cases were counted and 148 people died that day.
“This happened very quickly. Everyone I spoke to said this gear was beyond any model and expectations, so people said, “What broke down?” and I have to think it’s partly the kind out there, ”Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Eric Garcetti Mayor of Los Angeles announces that he will not be joining Biden’s administration. (D) said in an interview with The Times on Wednesday.
The spike in cases coincided with concerns about a strain of virus plaguing the UK, which has severely restricted large parts of the country to try to contain the outbreak.
A study from the Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found the strain to be 56 percent more contagious than the original strain, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week that the The strain may already be circulating in the US.