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CNN – Scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Protection speak with UK health officials to learn more about UK data that suggests a new variant of coronavirus could be more deadly.
“The CDC has reached out to UK officials and is reviewing their new mortality data associated with variant B.1.1.7,” a CDC official told CNN on Saturday, using the scientific name of the variant first spotted in United Kingdom in November.
A UK report released on Friday says there is a “realistic possibility” that the new variant has a higher death rate than the other variants.
Although the data is inconclusive, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “there is some evidence that the new variant … may be associated with a higher degree of mortality”.
Although the data is inconclusive, Johnson said “there is some evidence that the new variant … may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.”
Variant found in 22 US states
CDC modeling shows that this new variant, which has been shown to spread particularly quickly, could become the predominant variant in the United States by March.
Only 195 cases of the new variant have been spotted in the United States so far, according to the CDC, but public health officials believe that many more cases go undetected. Cases have been found in 22 states, according to the CDC, California and Florida by detecting a particularly high number.
So far, studies suggest that current vaccines will protect against the new variant, and that wearing masks, social distancing and hand hygiene are key to controlling the spread of the virus.
Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist and member of President Joe Biden’s coronavirus transition team, said he had reviewed the UK report, as well as other data that has not been made public, and is “convinced” that the new variant is more lethal.
“Data is piling up – and some of it that I cannot share – that clearly supports that B.1.1.7 causes more severe illness and increased mortality,” said Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “We already know that this variant has increased drivetrain, so that’s very bad news.”
A CDC adviser said it would be ideal if U.S. doctors could check on and see how patients with the new variant behave compared to patients infected with other variants.
But Dr William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said it could be difficult because genomic sequencing – the lab work required to detect new strains – is not very robust in the United States.
“Our current ability to determine if your particular patient has this new strain is very limited, so it really reinforces the idea that other countries have a lot more capacity to do this than we do,” said Schaffner, member of the CDC advisory committee. on vaccination practices.
The UK has one of the most powerful genomic sequencing programs in the world. Their report gives details of several studies that compare the severity of the new variant with previous ones.
UK chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance cited the mortality data, adding that the evidence is not yet strong and the data remains uncertain.
“If you took … a man in his 60s, the average risk is that for every 1,000 people infected, about 10 will unfortunately die from the virus. With the new variant, per 1,000 people infected, around 13 or 14 people can be expected to die, ”he said on Friday.
“That’s the kind of change for that kind of age group, an increase from 10 to 13 or 14 in 1000 and you’ll see that in different age groups as well, a similar kind of relative increase in risk.” , he added. .
Analyzes cited in the UK report include those performed by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London, University of Exeter and Public Health England.
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