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New Jersey recorded its first death from the highly contagious British variant of COVID-19.
The unidentified resident succumbed to the virus on Wednesday, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli confirmed at a press conference.
The victim had “significant underlying health problems” but had no history of international travel. Their age has not been released.
It is feared that the British variant of the coronavirus, known as B 1.1.7 and dubbed ‘Super-COVID’, is up to 70% more transmissible than the general strain of coronavirus.
Six new cases of Super-COVID were confirmed in New Jersey on Wednesday, with the ages of those testing positive ranging from 10 to 65. Only one has recently traveled abroad. The New Jersey Department of Health did not disclose which country the person had visited.
There are now at least 329 confirmed cases of Super-COVID across the United States, including at least 92 in California and Florida respectively.
Initially, there were simply concerns that the mutation would be more contagious than the common infection with COVID-19. However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last week that it was now to be feared 30% more deadly.
Dr Anthony Fauci echoed the same sentiment last Wednesday, telling NBC’s Today show: ‘I have no doubts that there is an increase in the severity of the actual infection that we really need to keep an eye out for. . ”
Earlier this month, a 40-year-old woman in Texas died from the Super-COVID strain just days after being admitted to hospital.
New Jersey recorded its first death from the highly contagious British variant of COVID-19. A patient is pictured being treated for the disease at a New Jersey hospital earlier this month
New York has confirmed at least 22 cases of the variant, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressing frustration that more is not yet known about the death.
Super-COVID is one of the many new strains of the coronavirus detected in recent weeks.
At least two local American variants have been confirmed in Ohio, while one has been detected in Illinois.
Another mutation first detected in Brazil, known as E484K, has also been detected on the American coast. Additionally, a variant known as 1452R, first seen in Denmark, is believed to account for up to 50% of cases in California.
A highly contagious strain native to South Africa was confirmed for the first time in the United States on Thursday.
Two people in South Carolina tested positive for the mutation – known as B. 1,351 varian – although they had not traveled outside the country. This has raised fears that the tension is already spreading widely in the community.
“We don’t know exactly what’s going on with the new strains,” Governor Cuomo told reporters in a briefing Wednesday.
“The concept of not knowing is very disturbing to me.
A driving coronavirus test site is seen in Paramus, New Jersey. Six more cases of Super-COVID were confirmed in Garden State on Wednesday
At present, it is believed that the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Morderna will still be effective in the short term against mutations confirmed in the United States.
Scientists are now scrambling to invent “ booster shots, ” fearing that the mutations may ultimately reduce the ability of vaccine-induced antibodies to sterilize the coronavirus.
President Biden has temporarily banned flights from South Africa and again imposed restrictions on those entering the United States from the United Kingdom after Donald Trump vowed to lift them in his final days in power.
“ I have determined that it is in the interest of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants or non-immigrants, of non-citizens of the United (“non-citizens”) who were physically present in the Schengen area (of Europe), the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa during the 14-day period before they entered or attempted to enter the United States, ”Biden said.
In a separate executive order, Biden said travelers from all other countries arriving in the United States must be “ required to produce proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test prior to entry ” and “ required to comply with other applicable CDC guidelines, including recommended periods of self-quarantine or self-isolation after entry ”.
Meanwhile, the CDC is “ actively studying ” new measures for Americans flying interstate, with the number of coronavirus cases remaining stubbornly high.
A new proposal says travelers should test negative for COVID-19 before boarding planes flying around the country.
This comes as the rollout of vaccines in the country continues to fall behind schedule.
Vaccinations began five weeks ago, but only 6.2% of the American population received their first doses of two-dose vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna. This comes down to about 20.7 million who received at least one dose of the vaccine.
About 3.8 million people have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As of Friday, 25.5 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 429,000 have died.
President Biden predicts that the death toll will exceed half a million dead next month.
Earlier Wednesday, drivers were seen lining up at the COVID-19 mega vaccination site that was set up in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium
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