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CONNECTICUT – The idea from state health officials that the UK variant of the coronavirus was already present in Connecticut was confirmed on Thursday after two people who recently traveled tested positive.
The variant has raised concerns in the United States and around the world, as evidence suggests that it is significantly more contagious than other strains of the Covid-19 virus, which is already a highly contagious virus.
Will I know if I have the variant?
Preferably not. The process of detecting genetic changes in the virus is more arduous than a coronavirus test that gives a simple detected or undetected result.
“We will not be able to do genomic sequencing on every case in Connecticut,” Acting DPH Commissioner Deidre Gifford said at a press conference.
How widespread is the variant in Connecticut?
DPH in collaboration with Yale Medicine and Jackson Laboratories are sequencing test samples in an effort to determine the prevalence of the new strain in Connecticut. The CDC is also working with partners across the country to find the answer.
“As the governor mentioned, if you’re diagnosed with covid in Connecticut, you just have to assume there’s a good possibility that you have this variant,” Gifford said.
What makes the variant different?
Viruses constantly mutate as they replicate over and over again, according to the CDC. Sometimes the variants are not much different from the original virus and go away.
The new strain was first detected in the UK in September 2020 and has become very widespread in London and the south-east of England, according to the CDC.
The variant appears to spread more easily, but so far evidence suggests that it does not cause more serious illness or a greater risk of death than other strains of COVID-19.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the variant was 50 to 70% more contagious than other strains.
Will the coronavirus vaccine work against the new variant?
Scientists are continuing to study whether approved vaccines will be as effective against the new strain. So far, there is no evidence that the vaccine will not be effective and scientists believe further studies will confirm this, according to the CDC.
What other measures can I take to avoid the variant?
General medical advice on social distancing, mask use, and good hand hygiene can help prevent the spread of the variant.
“It just means being even more careful,” Lamont said. “What this means is that if you stand six feet away from someone for less than 15 minutes, and you’re not wearing your mask, the risk of you getting infected if someone nearby is infected.” , it just increased.
Are there any other worrisome variations?
Another variant first discovered in South Africa is also of concern.
Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the changes South African strain could potentially make monoclonal antibodies less effective. It could potentially defeat current coronavirus testing as well.
A recent study also suggested that convalescent plasma therapy was not as effective against the South African variant. The therapy takes blood plasma from a person previously infected with the coronavirus and gives it to another person in order to fight the virus.
“It’s a suggestion that even past exposure, past immunity may not be fully protective against this strain,” he said in an interview with CNBC.
However, the vaccines should still be primarily effective against the new variant because they use all of the key spike protein, Gottleib said. The variants have changes in some parts of the spike protein, but not in the whole.
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