CONNECTICUT – The Connecticut health authorities’ hunch that the UK coronavirus variant was already present in Connecticut was confirmed on Thursday after two people who recently traveled tested positive.
The variant has caused concern in the United States and around the world because the evidence suggests that it is significantly more contagious than other strains of the coronavirus.
Will I know if I have the variant?
Most likely not. The process for detecting genetic changes in the virus is more arduous than a coronavirus test that gives a simple detected or undetected result.
“We will not be able to do genomic sequencing in all cases in Connecticut,” Department of Public Health commissioner Deidre Gifford told a news conference this week.
How widespread is the variant in Connecticut?
The state health department, in conjunction with Yale Medicine and Jackson Laboratories, is sequencing test samples to determine the prevalence of the new strain in Connecticut. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also working with partners across the country to find the answer.
“As the governor mentioned, if you are diagnosed with COVID in Connecticut, you should simply assume that there is a good chance that you have this variant,” said Gifford.
What makes the variant different?
Viruses mutate constantly as they replicate continuously, according to the CDC. Sometimes, the variants are not very different from the original virus and disappear.
The new strain was first detected in the UK in September 2020 and has become highly prevalent in London and southeastern England, according to the CDC.
The variant appears to spread more easily, but so far the evidence suggests that it does not cause a more serious illness or a greater chance of death than other strains of COVID-19.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the variant was 50 to 70 percent more contagious than other strains.
Will the coronavirus vaccine work against the new variant?
Scientists are continuing to study whether approved vaccines will be as effective against the new strain. So far there is no evidence that the vaccine will not be effective and scientists believe that further studies will confirm this, according to the CDC.
What other steps can I follow to avoid the variant?
General medical advice on social distance, wearing a mask and good hand hygiene helps to prevent the variant from spreading.
“It just means being even more careful,” said Lamont this week. “What this means is that if you stand 1.8 meters away from someone for less than 15 minutes and are not wearing your mask, the chance of being infected if someone close to you is infected, it simply increases.”
Are there any other relative variants?
Another variant discovered in South Africa is also causing concern.
Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb said that changes in the South African lineage could make antibodies less effective. It can also override current coronavirus tests.
A recent study also suggested that convalescent plasma therapy was not as effective against the South African variant. The therapy collects blood plasma from someone previously infected with the coronavirus and gives it to someone else as a way to help fight the virus.
“This is a suggestion that even previous exposure, previous immunity may not be fully protective against this strain,” he said in an interview with CNBC.
However, vaccines must still be effective against the new variant because they use the entire spike protein, said Gottleib. Variants have changes in some parts of the peak protein, but not everywhere.