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The first cases of infection in California caused by the South African variant coronavirus have been confirmed in the Bay Area, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday.
Newsom said one of the cases was found in Alameda County and the other in Santa Clara County. He did not share any additional information on who tested positive or how they might have contracted the viral variant, called B.1.351. Newsom said the cases involving the South African strain were reported “a few hours ago”.
The announcement comes amid growing concern that variants of the coronavirus, some of which are believed to be more contagious, could spread with increased frequency at a time when California is still emerging from its devastation. winter thrust.
Although currently available vaccines appear to be effective against most of the coronavirus variants that have been identified at this point, the strain fueling a resurgence of COVID-19 in South Africa has not been slowed down by a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. In a study involving a relatively small group of about 2,000 relatively young and healthy people, the vaccine did not reduce the risk of mild to moderate illness.
Officials were relying on the AstraZeneca vaccine to protect its frontline healthcare workers, but the study results have prompted the government to suspend plans for a vaccination campaign that reportedly began this month.
A COVID-19 vaccine developed by US company Novavax was also found to be almost 90% effective against all types of COVID-19 when tested in Britain, but only 49% in South Africa . Another developed by Johnson & Johnson reduced the risk of moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 by 72% among clinical trial participants in the United States, but was only effective by 57% in South Africa.
None of these three vaccines have been authorized in the United States.
California has also confirmed 159 identifiable cases of infection caused by the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK, referred to as B.1.1.7. This is of particular concern to health officials, as it is believed to be 50% more transmissible than the conventional variety.
Given how easily this variant can spread, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict that it could become the dominant strain of coronavirus nationwide by the end of March.
The British variant was identified in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Alameda, San Mateo and Yolo counties.
LA County officials confirmed the fourth and fifth cases of the B.1.1.7 variant on Monday. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said it was clear that a good number of the mutant strains were circulating in LA County.
If we have a more infectious virus, said Ferrer, “it’s just easier for people to get infected. … The variants are of concern, because if we let our guard down, the more infectious strains can become dominant. And that greatly facilitates the spread of this virus. “
Orange County Monday confirmed his first case of the British variant in a resident who reported no history of international travel, “which means there are probably more cases in CO,” the county health agency tweeted.
Officials also confirmed the first case of the British variant on Monday in the Sacramento area – in Yolo County, west of the state capital – after an individual was determined to have the tension and “may have acquired the variant while traveling outside the community”, according to one declaration issued by UC Davis and the City of Davis.
At least 138 cases involving the British variant have been confirmed in San Diego County, with 50 probable cases. A UC San Diego scientist warned government officials than the UK strain is so transmissible that its spread – combined with rejection of mask use and physical distancing guidelines, as happened in California in the fall – could lead to an even worse spike within two months took place in winter.
Times editors Melissa Healy and Emily Baumgaertner contributed to this report.
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