Expert shares advice on how to protect yourself against a new, more contagious strain of coronavirus

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Tracking a more contagious strain of COVID-19

Experts are tracking the most contagious strain of the coronavirus.

ATLANTA – Health officials in Georgia say a fifth person has tested positive for a variant strain of the coronavirus.

The new strain, which first surfaced in the UK is known as B.1.1.7.

Scientists say it’s neither more serious nor more deadly, but it’s up to 50% more transmissible than other strains of the virus.

The variant led to a record increase in infections and hospitalizations in the UK, and a report released on Friday by a UK government science committee noted that there was a “realistic possibility” that the new variant would be deadlier than current strains of the virus.

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Dr Felipe Lobelo, epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, says the UK variant is of concern because it has a high number of changes in the spike protein on the surface of the virus, which allows the virus to hang on and off. infect healthy cells in the upper respiratory tract. .

Because it’s more transmissible, says Dr. Lobelo, it requires more precautions.

“If before we have this 15 minute window with someone who is in a high risk situation, maybe that window now shrinks to 5 minutes, again, because the virus is more contagious.” Lobelo says. “So you have to double down in terms of wearing a mask. If you have access to an N95, especially if you’re in indoor environments, it’s a good idea to use an N95.”

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Wearing face masks and not sharing personal items are essential for maintaining good health.

N95 medical grade masks are still rare and necessary for healthcare professionals.

There are alternatives, like the KN95 and KF94 masks, which can be purchased online.

If you wear a cloth mask, use one with two or three layers rather than one.

“And, of course, try to keep your distance,” says Dr. Lobelo. “Because this strain, we know it’s there, and it’s going to lead to more infections. Therefore, we must double our defenses before deploying a vaccination large enough to reduce this transmission.

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As of Thursday, nearly 600,000 Georgians had been vaccinated, most of them having received their first of two vaccines.

But with the state only receiving 120,000 doses per week, trying to vaccinate enough people before the variant spread has been a challenge.

And, says Lobelo, hospitals in Georgia are already under pressure.

As of Friday, 5,300 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in Georgia and 92% of intensive care beds were full.

“If this continues for too many more weeks, we will evolve into a situation similar to Los Angeles, where there are standards of crisis care, where the ICUs are so full that they cannot accommodate too many people.” , he said.

This variant is transmitted in the same way as the more common strains of the virus.

Thus, Dr. Lobelo recommends the same safety precautions.

Wear a mask every time you leave your home, he says, avoid close contact and cluttered indoor environments.