A new strain of coronavirus that shares some characteristics with the South African variety is emerging in New York City, researchers said Wednesday.
According to researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the new variant, dubbed B.1.526, was present in about 12 percent of coronavirus samples collected in the Big Apple and surrounding areas by mid-February.
In their analysis of publicly available databases, the Columbia researchers did not find a high prevalence of the COVID-19 variants in South Africa or Brazil in the region.
“Instead, we found large numbers of this homegrown lineage,” Dr. Anne-Catrin Uhlemann, assistant professor in the infectious diseases division at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in a statement.
The Columbia study found that the new strain has some similarities to the South African strain, which scientists believe can spread more easily than other virus variants.
B.1.526 was also described in research published this week by the California Institute of Technology.
Neither study has been reviewed by outside experts.
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