Most contagious COVID-19 strain identified in 3 states and 33 countries: what you need to know

A more contagious variant of COVID-19 first identified in the UK continues to emerge in the US and around the world, threatening to put strain on overburdened healthcare systems as vaccines are released deployed around the world.

At least three US states and 33 countries have identified the new variant, known as B.1.1.7. Several countries have also identified an additional variant, first identified in South Africa, which also appears to infect people more easily.

“Because the variants spread faster, they could lead to more cases and put even more strain on our heavily loaded healthcare systems,” said Dr Henry Walke, Incident Manager for the COVID-19 response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Colorado has confirmed the first known US case of a new strain of coronavirus that was first identified in the UK.

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“We need to be even more vigilant in our preventive measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Here is what we know about B.1.1.7.

How much more contagious is the new strain?

The strain first identified in the UK spreads easier and faster than other strains, according to the CDC. The strain was first spotted in September in south-eastern England and accounted for a quarter of cases in London in November. As of the week of December 9, he was responsible for 60% of cases in the city.

What makes the new strain of COVID-19 more contagious?

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 disease, mutates regularly and acquires about one new mutation in its genome every two weeks, according to the CDC. The British variant has several mutations that affect the “spike protein” on the surface of the virus that attaches to human cells.

“It is able to bind better to receptors in cells and therefore spreads better,” Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, said last week.

Is the new COVID-19 strain more deadly?

There is no evidence that B.1.1.7 causes more serious illness or an increased risk of death, according to the CDC.

Is the vaccine effective for the new variant?

Researchers believe current COVID-19 vaccines will likely protect against B.1.1.7, but data is needed. The virus “would likely need to accumulate multiple mutations in the spike protein to evade vaccine-induced immunity or natural infection,” according to the CDC.

“Based on what we know from experience with this and other mutations, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on vaccine-induced immunity or on existing immunity from previous strains.” said Dr. Greg Armstrong, director of the CDC’s Office of Advanced Molecular Detection. Armstrong said it was not clear how the variant might respond to COVID-19 treatments, such as monoclonal antibody treatments.

How long has the variant been in the United States?

Research first identified variant B.1.1.7 in the U.S. in Colorado on December 28 in a COVID-19 patient with no reported travel history, suggesting the virus was spreading from person to person in the community. It is not known how widespread the variant has become, experts say.

The United States has only sequenced the viruses on about 51,000 U.S. cases, according to the CDC. The country now has more than 20 million confirmed cases. “Given the small fraction of US infections that have been sequenced, the variant could already be in the United States without being detected,” the CDC said last month.

The CDC said it plans to launch a national strain surveillance program this month that requires each state to submit at least 10 samples every two weeks for sequencing.

Where was the new strain detected?

The B.1.1.7 strain has been identified in California, Colorado and Florida, and public health experts expect it to be identified in other states in the coming days.

The strain has been detected in at least 33 countries, including: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta , Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.

South Africa has also identified a strain similar to B.1.1.7, but it emerged in October independently of B.1.1.7 and is not related to it, according to the CDC. Like B.1.1.7, the South African variant (B.1.351) seems to spread easier and faster but is not more severe. U.S. health officials said last week they were unsure whether the South African strain was also circulating in the United States.

A third variant also emerged this fall and has been detected in Nigeria, but there is no evidence that it is more severe or more transmissible, according to the CDC.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Most contagious COVID-19 strain identified in 3 states and 33 countries: What to know