COLUMBIA, SC – A new variant of the coronavirus emerged Thursday in the United States, representing yet another public health challenge in a country that already loses more than 3,000 people to COVID-19 every day.
The mutant version of the virus, first identified in South Africa, was found in two cases in South Carolina. Public health officials said there were almost certainly more infections that had yet to be identified. They are also concerned that this version will spread more easily and that vaccines may be less effective against it.
The two cases were discovered in adults in different regions of the state and do not appear to be related. None of the infected people traveled recently, said the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday.
“This is scary,” because it means there may be more undetected cases in the state, said Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. “It is probably more widespread.”
The arrival of the variant shows that “the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, South Carolina’s acting director of public health, in a statement. “While more COVID-19 vaccines are on the way, supplies are still limited. Each of us must commit again to the fight, recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together.”
Viruses are constantly mutating and variants of the coronavirus are circulating around the world, but scientists are primarily concerned with the emergence of three that researchers believe can spread more easily. Other variants reported for the first time in the UK and Brazil have been previously confirmed in the USA
Because the variants have the potential for increased infection risks in the United States, legislators tired of the pandemic in various states are resisting mask orders, company closures and other protection restrictions ordered by governors.
States like Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky and Indiana are considering proposals to limit their governors’ ability to impose emergency restrictions. The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly was expected to vote to revoke Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ mask mandate, but lawmakers abruptly canceled the vote on Thursday in the face of widespread criticism and concerns that would put at risk more than $ 49 million in federal aid. Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment to remove many of their emergency powers from the governor.
Governors argue that they need the authority to act quickly in a crisis, and limitations can delay critical emergency responses.
Meanwhile, Nebraska health officials said the state could take days to lift restrictions on internal meetings, citing a low percentage of hospitalizations for COVID-19. Other states that observe declining infections are also easing restrictions on restaurants and other businesses, although experts have warned the public to be vigilant about masks and social detachment or the risk of new outbreaks.
In South Carolina, the state health agency reported that the variant was found in one person from the state’s coastal region and another in the northeast. The state gave little other information, citing privacy concerns, although Traxler said none of the people were more contagious.
“Both were tested earlier this month, and my understanding is that both are doing well,” said Traxler.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, eased most of the state’s remaining pandemic restrictions in the fall. Spokesman Brian Symmes said McMaster did not plan to request further restrictions based on the discovery of the variant.
“This is important information for Southern Carolinians to have,” said McMaster in a tweet, “but it is not a cause for panic.”
Scientists last week reported preliminary signs that some of the recent mutations may modestly limit the effectiveness of two vaccines, although they emphasized that the vaccines still protect against the disease. There are also signs that some of the new mutations may hinder testing for the virus and reduce the effectiveness of certain treatments.
The coronavirus has already made millions sick and killed about 430,000 people in the United States.
Although vaccine distribution has been slow, President Joe Biden has pledged to administer 100 million injections in his first 100 days in office – and has suggested that it is possible for the US to reach 1.5 million injections per day.
Although some European countries carry out extensive genetic testing to detect these variants, the United States has done little of that detective work. But scientists have been trying quickly to do more, which revealed the most contagious variants.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported at least 315 cases of the variant discovered in the United Kingdom in the United States. These reports came from at least 28 states, and health officials believe it could become the dominant strain in the United States by March. This variant has been reported in at least 70 countries.
The first American case of the variant found in Brazil was announced earlier this week by health officials in Minnesota. It was a person who recently traveled to that South American country. This version of the virus appeared in more than half a dozen countries.
The variant found for the first time in South Africa was detected in October. Since then, it has been found in at least 30 other countries.
Some tests suggest that South African and Brazilian variants may be less susceptible to antibiotic drugs or antibody-rich blood from survivors of COVID-19, which help people fight the virus.
Health officials also fear that if the virus changes enough, people may receive COVID-19 a second time.
Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions for most non-American travelers from Brazil, the United Kingdom and South Africa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that Americans avoid travel.
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Stobbe reported from New York.
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