More than 50 cases of the most contagious mutated coronavirus strain first detected in the UK have been identified in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In an update on Wednesday, the CDC listed 26 cases in California, two in Colorado, 22 in Florida, one in Georgia and an additional case in New York, for a total of 52 cases. On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said it also had a confirmed case of the variant.
The CDC noted that the numbers are underestimated, writing: “The cases identified above are based on a sample of SARS-CoV-2 positive samples and do not represent the total number of cases of strain B.1.1.7 that may be circulating in the United States and may not correspond to the numbers reported by states, territories, tribes and local authorities. ”
The CDC plans to update the page fortnightly as more reported cases of the variant strain emerge.
The coronavirus B.1.1.7. the variant is considered to be more transmissible than previous strains, but it is not considered more virulent or resistant to vaccines and treatment. Infectious disease specialists were not surprised to hear of the variant already circulating in the United States, due to travel in progress.
In a recent interview with Newsweek, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, said it is clear that the mutated strain in the UK will begin to emerge in other states.
“I think it is very clear that if it is in places like California, New York and Colorado … it will soon be in several other states,” said Fauci, adding later: “I don’t think the mutation in the UK [variant] was responsible for the very significant increase in cases in the United States because the United Kingdom variant is here, but it is not the dominant strain in the United States. But even though this is not the dominant strain, we still have a very steep curve of cases in our country ”.
New York announced it had detected its first case of the United Kingdom variant in a Saratoga man in his 60s. Governor Andrew Cuomo called the mutant strain a “game changer” during a recent news conference, while criticizing federal health officials for not implementing a travel ban or requiring tests for travelers from the UK.
Meanwhile, Colorado officials have detected the confirmed case of the coronavirus variant and a second potential case among members of the Colorado National Guard who were sent to help the Good Samaritan Society’s nursing home in Simla, where there was a widespread outbreak. of COVID-19.
In addition, the variant case in Georgia was confirmed in an 18-year-old man with no travel history.
Amid the circulation of the most transmissible strain, leading health experts emphasized the need for mitigation measures to prevent the spread of the virus and further burden the already overburdened health systems.
Fox News medical collaborator Dr. Nicole Saphier said the new contagious strain would be more difficult to control, although she noted that there was already an unchecked spread of viruses.
“Ultimately, it just means that it can be a little more difficult to contain the virus, but we already have an uncontrolled spread, which is why we have to keep wearing the mask, physical distance and encouraging people to get vaccines,” Saphier told Fox & “Friends First” co-hosts.