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COLUMBIA, SC – A new variant of the coronavirus emerged in the United States on Thursday, posing another public health challenge in a country that is already losing more than 3,000 people to COVID-19 every day.
The mutated version of the virus, first identified in South Africa, has been found in two cases in South Carolina. Public health officials said it was almost certain there were more infections that had yet to be identified. They are also concerned that this version will spread more easily and that vaccines may be less effective against it.
The two cases were discovered in adults in different parts of the state and do not appear to be related. None of those infected have traveled recently, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday.
“It’s scary,” because it means there could be more undetected cases in the state, said Dr Krutika Kuppalli, infectious disease physician at the University of South Carolina Medicine in Charleston. . “It’s probably more prevalent.”
The arrival of the variant shows that “the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, acting director of public health for South Carolina, said in a statement. are still limited. Each of us must re-engage in the struggle recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in the same boat.
Viruses are constantly mutating and variants of the coronavirus are circulating around the world, but scientists are primarily concerned about the emergence of three viruses that the researchers say could spread more easily. Other variants first reported in the UK and Brazil had already been confirmed in the US
While the variants present a potential for greater infection risks in the United States, pandemic-tired lawmakers in several states oppose mask warrants, business closures and other orderly protective restrictions by the governors.
States like Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky and Indiana are considering limiting the ability of their governors to impose emergency restrictions. The Republican-controlled assembly of Wisconsin was expected to vote to repeal Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ mask tenure, but lawmakers abruptly called off the vote on Thursday amid widespread criticism and fears it would compromise over $ 49 million in federal aid. Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment to strip the governor of many of his emergency powers.
Governors say they need the authority to act quickly in a crisis and that limitations could slow critical emergency responses.
Meanwhile, Nebraska health officials have said the state could be days away from lifting restrictions on indoor gatherings, citing a low percentage of COVID-19 hospitalizations. Other states with declining infections are also loosening limits on restaurants and other businesses, though experts have warned the public to stay vigilant about masks and social distancing or risk further flare-ups.
In South Carolina, the public health agency said the variant was found in one person in the state’s coastal region and another in its northeast corner. The state gave little other information, citing privacy concerns, although Traxler said none of the people were more contagious.
“Both were tested very early in the month, and my understanding is that both are doing well,” Traxler said.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, relaxed most of the state’s remaining pandemic restrictions in the fall. Spokesman Brian Symmes said McMaster has no plans to order new restrictions based on the discovery of the variant.
“This is important information for Southern Carolinians,” McMaster said in a tweet, “but it’s not a reason to panic.”
Scientists last week reported preliminary signs that some of the recent mutations may modestly reduce the effectiveness of two vaccines, although they pointed out that the vaccines still protect against the disease. There are also signs that some of the new mutations could compromise tests for the virus and reduce the effectiveness of some treatments.
The coronavirus has already sickened millions of people and killed an estimated 430,000 people in the United States.
Although vaccine rollout has been slow, President Joe Biden has pledged to give 100 million injections in his first 100 days in office – and suggested it was possible the United States could reach 1.5 million shots per day.
While some European countries perform extensive genetic testing to detect these variants, the United States has done little in this detective work. But scientists quickly tried to do more, which revealed the most contagious variants.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported at least 315 cases of the UK-discovered variant to the US. These reports come from at least 28 states and health officials believe it could become the dominant strain in the United States by March. This variant has been reported in at least 70 countries.
The first U.S. case of the variant found in Brazil was announced earlier this week by health officials in Minnesota. He was someone who had recently visited this South American nation. This version of the virus has appeared in more than half a dozen countries.
The variant first found in South Africa was detected in October. Since then, it has been found in at least 30 other countries.
Some tests suggest that the South African and Brazilian variants may be less sensitive to antibody drugs or the antibody-rich blood of COVID-19 survivors, which help people fight the virus.
Health officials are also concerned that if the virus changes enough, people could contract COVID-19 a second time.
Biden reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on Monday for most non-U.S. Travelers from Brazil, the UK and South Africa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans avoid travel.
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Stobbe reported from New York.
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The Associated Press’s Department of Health and Science receives support from the Department of Science Education at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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