More contagious strain of COVID-19 affects 26% of US cases

Nail Most contagious strain of coronavirus now predominates in five regions of the United States and accounts for a quarter of new cases nationwide, said the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Variant B.1.1.7, discovered for the first time in the United Kingdom, represents between 4% and 35% of cases depending on the region, and 26% of cases nationallyRochelle Walensky said at a press conference Wednesday. In early April, US officials warned that it could become the predominant strain of the virus in the United States.

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“We are watching this very closely, but it is starting to become the predominant variant in many parts of the United States,” Walensky said. “We are starting to see him move forward. We know that it is more transmissible, between 50% and 70% more transmissible than the first strain, so since people do not practice standard mitigation strategies, we suspect that more infections will occur due to of variant B.1.1 .7 “.

Walensky did not specify the regions in which the strain now predominates. Mitigation measures like the use of face masks and social distancing work “as well” against the variants as against the initial form of covid-19, he said.

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By asking the CDC director if the variant scientifically known as B.1.526, first found in New York and currently classified as “variant of interest”, it would be updated to “variant of concern“He replied that an interagency group including the CDC was considering reclassifying it.

Walensky began the briefing by reiterating a call for Americans to wear face masks and to avoid crowds and travel. The average number of new cases in the past seven days has increased by almost 12% from the previous week, he said. On Monday, Walensky warned of “impending disaster” and a possible fourth wave of covid as cases and hospitalizations rise again in the United States, despite the vaccination surge.