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A man in Colorado has become the first known case in the US of the recently identified strain of Covid-19 circulating in the UK. The new variant is believed to be more contagious than other established strains and has led some countries to restrict travel from the UK.
The Colorado man who contracted the new strain, called B.1.1.7, is in his 20s and had no travel history, according to the state health department. In a statement, Gov. Jared Polis said health officials are conducting an investigation into how the man may have contracted the virus while recovering in isolation.
Although the new variant had not been found in the US Until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that it was probably already circulating in the country. The agency said that while the new strain has not been identified through sequencing efforts, “labs have only 51,000 of the 17 million cases in the United States,” and the new strain may not have been detected.
“Ongoing travel between the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the high prevalence of this variant among current UK infections, increase the likelihood of importation,” the CDC said in a statement. “Given the small fraction of US infections that have been sequenced, the variant could already be in the United States without being detected.”
The new variant has also recently been detected in at least 17 countries, including South Korea, Spain, Australia, and Canada. On Christmas Day, the CDC issued new guidelines for UK travelers, requiring proof of a negative Covid-19 test.
The fact that the Colorado man who tested positive for the new variant has no travel history is significant because it suggests that the new strain is already spreading through U.S. communities, said Carlos del Rio, a disease expert. infectious diseases from Emory University, in a report. cheep.
“There is much we do not know about this new variant of Covid-19, but scientists in the UK are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious,” Polis said in a statement. “We are working to prevent the spread and contain the virus at all levels.”
Experts say that the coronavirus vaccines currently being distributed are likely to continue to work to protect people against the new strain. Scientists believe that although it is more contagious, it does not cause more serious disease than other established strains. However, the research is still ongoing, and it remains uncertain whether the new variant is actually more transmissible due to a genetic advantage, or if it is simply spreading so widely due to chance superprocessor events. A report from Public Health England found that the new variant was not linked to higher rates of hospitalization or death.
New variants of the coronavirus have been observed almost since it was first detected in China almost a year ago. It is common for viruses to undergo minor changes as they reproduce and move through a population.
The United States, unlike the United Kingdom, has not been broadly and consistently tracking genomic sequences for Covid-19 infections and has a less robust process for tracking viral mutations.
“The fact that Colorado has detected this variant for the first time in the nation is a testament to the sophistication of Colorado’s response,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the state department of public health, in a statement. “We are currently using all available tools to protect public health and mitigate the spread of this variant.”
The United States has recorded more than 19.46 million cases of the coronavirus, more than any other country. Even as healthcare workers, seniors and other Americans begin receiving their first doses of coronavirus vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer, the country has faced a massive increase in cases. In some parts of the country, including Los Angeles, hospitals have been overwhelmed, forced to turn away ambulances.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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