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California health officials warned on Sunday of a distinct variant of the coronavirus, known as L452R, on the rise statewide since last November.
It is too early to tell if the strain is more transmissible than others, including the highly contagious variant first identified in the UK, said Dr Erica Pan, state epidemiologist in the Department of Public Health , in a press release. Still, officials are urging the public to wear masks, avoid socializing with non-domestic members, and self-isolate after exposure.
Like the British variant, coined B.1.1.7, the L452R variant involves several mutations on the spike surface protein, which the virus uses to infect cells. Scientists believe that recently approved vaccines remain effective against the British variant, although research into the impact that a separate variant first identified in South Africa could have is ongoing.
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The variant strain includes three mutations on the spike surface proteins of the virus. (iStock)
The L452R variant was first found in Denmark at the start of the pandemic and then detected elsewhere, including in California, Dr Charles Chiu, a virologist and professor of laboratory medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, has told reporters on a Sunday call, by the San Francisco Chronicle. Chiu said the variant was found in around 4% of samples in December and had increased to 25% of samples by early January, according to the outlet.
“The data to date is very preliminary, but it fundamentally raises concerns that there may be an impact on the vaccine,” Chiu said, according to the outlet.
The variant has appeared more quickly in California labs since November, alongside increased surveillance, and has been found in large outbreaks in Santa Clara County, according to the state’s health department.
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The San Francisco Chronicle also reported that Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Public Health Officer, said the variant was found in an outbreak among Kaiser Permanente employees in San Jose, which made headlines. newspapers after dozens of cases and one death were linked to an inflatable. costume worn by a staff member at Christmas. Since then, the epidemic has reached more than 90 infections among staff.
Cody told the outlet that officials were trying to figure out if the variant could explain the sheer scale of the hospital outbreak.
“This is the question of the day,” Cody told the outlet.
A spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente wrote to Fox News on Monday morning, confirming that the L452R variant had been detected in the hospital outbreak.
“We can confirm that the L452R COVID-19 variant was found in some findings associated with the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in the emergency department in San Jose,” the emailed statement read. “While this information helps in the epidemiological investigation of the outbreak and helps advance important scientific research, it does not immediately affect our patients or employees, whose health and safety remains our top priority. and patients who tested positive for COVID-19 as a result of this outbreak are now past their contagious and symptom-free period. “
Fox News has requested additional comment from the Santa Clara Department of Public Health.
“In addition to Santa Clara County, the 452R variant has been detected in Humboldt, Lake, Los Angeles, Mono, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Francisco, San Bernardino, San Diego and San Luis Obispo counties,” the press release from the state health department. “Because genomic sequencing is not performed equally across the state or country, it is too early to know how prevalent the 452 variant is statewide, nationally or global.
State data shows a sharp increase in new daily infections in Santa Clara County at the end of November, reflecting trends statewide. The statewide test positivity rate has also jumped from around 3% in early November to over 12% now.
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“Now that we know this variant is on the rise in our local communities, we are prioritizing it for study,” Chiu said, according to the outlet. “Researchers at UCSF and elsewhere will now be able to perform the critical laboratory experiments to determine whether this virus is more infectious or affects vaccine performance.”
The news coincides with reports that Los Angeles County this weekend passed one million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and reported its first case of the most contagious UK variant.
Although California has been among the strictest states in the country in implementing lockdowns, it has continued to see an increase in cases over the past two weeks, averaging more than 41,000 new cases of coronavirus each day. .
Bradford Betz of Fox News contributed to this article.
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