The United States is playing “a whole new game” in terms of controlling the coronavirus, now that the variants are spreading across the country, Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told CBS News on Friday.
Why does it matter: Osterholm said the United States may face another outbreak of variant B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the United Kingdom and has since been detected across the United States. Several studies have suggested that it probably spreads more easily than the original strain of the virus.
What they are saying: “We are, I think, for now, in the eye of a hurricane when it comes to the good news, the vaccine is coming, but the big challenge [is] with this new variant that arrived here from Europe, “Osterholm told CBS News.
- “But in addition to that, everything is going to be about the variants and the vaccine, and that will determine where we will be next year, the next year and the year after.”
- Osterholm predicted that between now and the time when the United States can vaccinate more of its population “we will see this increase in B.1.1.7 occur”.
The big picture: His warning comes as several states across the country relax or ease their restrictions on coronavirus.
Go deeper: New coronavirus spike in Europe is a warning to the US