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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned on Friday that, by March 2021, the new, more contagious “British strain” of the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 will be the dominant strain found in the United States.
“A more highly transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.7, has been detected in 10 US states,” notes the report released Friday on the variant first reported in the UK in December 2020. Previously , the agency notes that more “virus variants that spread more efficiently” were reported in several countries in late fall 2020. “Modeling data indicates that B.1.1.7 has the potential to increase the trajectory of the pandemic in the United States in the coming months. ”
Although there is currently “no known difference in clinical outcomes” between people who get sick with different variants of the virus (for example, people who get sick with the most transmissible variant are not reported to be sicker than any other patient), the major threat with the virus spreading more efficiently and affecting more people is the strain it will put on our healthcare infrastructure. With hospitals in various states across the country already overwhelmed, a further increase in cases can only exacerbate existing problems on this front. The report notes that this is why it is all the more important that communities continue to follow best practices and guidelines to reduce the risk of spread and provide more time for vaccine administration.
“Collectively, enhanced genomic surveillance coupled with continued adherence to effective public health measures, including immunization, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, isolation and quarantine, will be essential for limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Strategic screening of people without symptoms but at higher risk of infection, such as those exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or who have inevitable frequent contact with the public, offers another opportunity to limit the ongoing spread ”, according to the CDC. “… These measures will be more effective if they are instituted as early as possible to slow down the initial dissemination of variant B.1.1.7. Efforts to prepare the health system for new outbreaks of cases are warranted. Increased transmissibility also means that higher than expected vaccine coverage must be achieved to achieve the same level of disease control to protect the public from less transmissible variants. “
What do we know about the coronavirus variants?
A frustrating part of the novel coronavirus throughout the pandemic has been the rapidly emerging new information about it. After all, a new virus just means our experts have had less time to fully understand how it travels, evolves, and affects a human body.
The CDC notes that “Viruses are constantly changing by mutation, and new variants of a virus should appear over time. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and persist. Multiple variants of the virus responsible for COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and around the world during this pandemic. “
They note that the virus responsible for COVID-19 originated from a “large family of viruses” named after the crown-shaped spikes on their surface. “Scientists are monitoring changes in the virus, including changes in peaks on the surface of the virus,” the agency notes. “These studies, including genetic analyzes of the virus, help us understand how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and what happens to people who are infected with it.”
There is still a lot we don’t know about how the variants might affect current treatments for COVID-19 and the vaccine, although many experts believe the vaccines will remain effective.
“The variants have changes in the spike protein, but not enough to make the vaccine non-protective,” said Arnold Monto, acting chairman of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biologics. -United, January 11. JAMA. “Looks like [current vaccines] should work, and we’ll know more about it in the coming weeks. “
Dr. @arnold_monto of @umichsph chaired the FDA VRBPAC meetings in December leading up to the EUA on 2 # COVID-19[FEMALE[FEMININE vaccines. He joins JAMA’s Q&A series to discuss experiences to date and beyond. https://t.co/ZCy6HnbYXk
– JAMA (@JAMA_current) January 11, 2021
So far, there are a number of variants that have been reported around the world that generally spread faster (and more efficiently) than the original virus, although again there is no indication that they lead to more serious illness or a higher risk of death. on their own, according to the CDC:
B.1.1.7, who emerged with an unusually high number of transfers in the UK. “This variant spreads more easily and faster than the other variants. At this time, there is no evidence that it causes more serious illness or an increased risk of death. This variant was first detected in September 2020 and is now very widespread in London and the south-east of England. It has since been detected in many countries around the world, including the United States and Canada. “
1.351 emerged regardless of the variant detected in the UK in South Africa. “This variant, originally detected in early October, shares some mutations with the variant detected in the UK. There have been cases caused by this variant outside of South Africa, but it has not been detected in the United States.
P.1 was found in Brazil via “four travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at Haneda Airport outside of Tokyo, Japan. This variant contains a set of additional mutations that can affect its ability to be recognized by antibodies. This variant has not been detected in the United States. “
So, as vaccination efforts continue across the United States, now is a good time to remind everyone that the pandemic is far from over and that the decisions we will make in the months to come can absolutely protect us, our families and save lives.
This gallery of children’s masks is a great place to start shopping!
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