O new coronavirus variant first seen in the UK, it will likely become the dominant strain in the United States in March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a new report on Friday. The mutation is believed to be more contagious, and research shows it may show “rapid growth” earlier this year.
The CDC explored a number of different scenarios involving the tension, which experts believe is about 50% more transmissible than the original. In each, the new strain accounted for the majority of cases in the U.S. in the next two months.
“Several lines of evidence indicate that B.1.1.7 is transmitted more efficiently than other variants of SARS-CoV-2,” said the CDC.
The variant, known as B.1.1.7, was first detected in the UK in mid-December and has since spread to more than 30 countries. The variant has so far been detected in at least 10 states, with approximately 76 cases on January 13, although the actual number is expected to be much higher.
This week, coronavirus cases in the U.S. reached 23 million, with more 392,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The CDC said the new strain “ensures universal and increased compliance with mitigation strategies, including remoteness and masking. Higher vaccination coverage may need to be achieved to protect the public.”
The researchers reiterated the need to follow health guidelines, such as wearing a mask, proper hygiene and social detachment, among other things, to continue to limit the spread of the virus while the nation works quickly to vaccinate the most vulnerable. The new strain may also make it more difficult to achieve so-called “herd immunity”.
The CDC warned that, although no variant is proven to cause more serious cases, “a higher rate of transmission will lead to more cases, increasing the number of people in general who need clinical care, exacerbating the burden on a health system. already overwhelmed resulting in more deaths. “
New search suggests that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine may still protect against the mutation, as well as more than a dozen other strains. However, the Trump administration has failed to find goals to vaccinate Americans, with only about 12 million doses administered by Saturday.
As fears of tension in the UK escalate, the CDC has issued stricter travel guidelines which require all international travelers to have negative coronavirus tests before entering the country.