An epidemiologist on Thursday compared the highly contagious UK variant of the coronavirus to a ‘Category 5 hurricane’ spinning offshore – as the strain has spread to more than half of the US, infected more than 500 Americans and up to two known deaths.
“It takes a lot more than a vaccine to keep this variant at bay and not see a major increase in the coming weeks,” said epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. . , said on CNN’s “New Day.”
“I think my colleagues would agree that this UK variant, which is now beginning to circulate much more widely in the United States, is a huge challenge for us. And that within a few weeks we could see the number of cases increase very dramatically, ”added Osterholm.
According to the latest data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the COVID-19 variant, known as B.1.1.7, has been detected in 33 states in the US.
541 cases of the British variant have been reported nationwide, including 186 cases in Florida, 127 cases in California, 42 cases in New York and 22 cases in Michigan, the data shows.
The variant was first discovered in the US in Colorado in late December.
Two Americans have since died after contracting the mutant virus – an Alabama father and a New Jersey person who, according to health officials, had “significant underlying health problems.”
The United Kingdom first identified the variant in the fall of last year, the CDC said. It turned out to spread more easily and faster than other variants.
Last month, British health experts reported that the variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, but the CDC says more studies are needed to confirm that finding.
According to the tracking website cov-linattoos.org, a total of 73 countries around the world have discovered the British variant so far, including the Netherlands, Spain, France, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy.
Additionally, two other variants of the coronavirus, one known as B.1.351, which first emerged in South Africa, and another known as P.1, which was first identified in Brazil, are circulating worldwide, also in the USA.
According to the CDC, three cases of the South African strain and two of the Brazilian variant have been reported in the US so far.
The CDC says the antibodies generated by vaccination with the authorized COVID-19 vaccines recognize the variants.
The country’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has said he believes current coronavirus vaccines protect against the British variety.
“What’s more formidable and worrying is the South African variety,” Fauci said in a panel of public health experts last week.
“The bottom line is that we take these mutations very seriously,” said Fauci. “The British variant is much less concerning. We must be prepared to upgrade vaccines. “