The new coronavirus variant First seen in the UK, it is likely to become the dominant species in the United States in March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a new report on Friday. The mutation is believed to be more contagious, and research shows it could experience “rapid growth” early this year.
The CDC has explored a number of different scenarios where the pressure, which experts believe is about 50% more transferable than the original. In all of these, the new species constituted the majority of the cases in the US within the next two months.
“Multiple evidence indicates that B.1.1.7 is more efficiently transmitted than other SARS-CoV-2 variants,” the CDC said.
The variant, known as B.1.1.7, was first discovered in the UK in mid-December and has since spread to more than 30 countries. The variant has been so far detected in at least 10 states, with about 76 cases on Jan. 13, although the actual number is expected to be much higher.
This week there were over 23 million cases of coronavirus in the US. 392,000 dead since the pandemic started, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The CDC said the new strain “guarantees universal and better adherence to mitigation strategies, including distancing and masking. Higher vaccination coverage may need to be achieved to protect the public.”
Researchers reiterated the need to adhere to health guidelines, such as wearing a mask, good hygiene, and social distance, among other things, to continue limiting the spread of the virus while the nation works quickly to vaccinate the most vulnerable. The new strain may also make achieving so-called “herd immunity” more difficult.
The CDC warned that while no variant has been proven to cause more severe cases, “a higher rate of transmission will lead to more cases, increasing the number of individuals in general needing clinical care, adding to the burden on an already strained healthcare system. , and resulting in more deaths. “
New Research suggests that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine may still protect against the mutation, as well as against more than a dozen other strains. However, the Trump administration has not met targets to get Americans vaccinated, with only about 12 million doses delivered on Saturday.
As fears of the British tribe escalate, the CDC has issued stricter travel guidelines which require all international travelers to submit negative coronavirus tests before entering the country.