Coronavirus variants continue to spread across the United States, with more and more cases.
California’s own production variant, known as B.1.427 / B.1.429, now accounts for more than half of infections in the state and 20 to 40 percent of cases in neighboring states.
Meanwhile, the UK variant, known as B.1.1.7, has spread to all states and accounts for almost one in 10 cases in at least two states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has previously suggested that B.1.1.7 would become the dominant strain in the U.S. in March, which has so far not been the case.
The latest estimate from outbreak.info is that the UK variant accounts for 35 per cent of all cases in the country.
According to the CDC, at least 6,638 cases of variable mutant strains have been identified nationwide.
In a press conference on Monday, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said action needs to be taken in light of the variants until more people can be vaccinated.
‘I understand. We all want to get back to our daily activities and spend time with our family, friends and loved ones. But we have to find the strength to spend some more time there, ”he said.
“We have to act now and I’m worried that if we don’t do the right actions now, we’ll have another avoidable wave.”
The prevalence of all coronavirus variants, both first-time and self-produced, is spreading across the United States.
At a news conference Monday (pictured), CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said action should be taken in light of the variants until more people can be vaccinated.
During the press conference, Walensky discussed the prevalence of the California variant, which it was first identified in May 2020 and virtually non-existent until October.
In a recent study, the University of California, San Francisco, examined 2,172 virus samples collected between September 2020 and January 2021 across California.
In January, the new variant would account for more than 50 percent of all genetically analyzed coronavirus samples.
Currently, according to Walensky, the variant accounts for 52% of infections in California, 41% in Nevada and 25% in Arizona.
Dr. Charles Chiu, a professor of laboratory medicine and an expert in infectious diseases at the UCSF, told the Los Angeles Times that the virus appeared to be more transmissible than previous strains by 19 to 24 percent.
In laboratory studies conducted at UCSF, the researchers analyzed the genetic material found in the nasal swabs that were used to perform coronavirus testing.
They found that B.1.427 / B.1.429 produced a viral load that was twice that triggered by other variants.
This suggests that the homemade variant is best copied more quickly once it enters the human body and hijacks its machinery.
Although it has not yet been definitively tested, a higher viral load is a signal that someone infected with the variant can be especially contagious and spread the virus more effectively and efficiently.
In addition, the California variant was more effective in eluting antibodies produced naturally by the bodies of COVID-19 survivors or produced by vaccines. Antibody levels produced in response to the California variant were twice as low.
On Monday, Walensky revealed that California’s own variant, B.1.427 / B.1.429, now accounts for 52% of state cases.
It has also spread to nearby states and now accounts for 41% of COVID-19 infections in Nevada and 25% in Arizona.
Walensky also discussed the prevalence of Variant of the United Kingdom, known as, B.1.1.7 due to the location of its most significant mutations.
It now accounts for at least 80 per cent of all cases in Britain and most estimates place it at around 70 per cent more infectious than older variants of ‘wild’ type coronavirus.
In a new study published last month on the medRxiv.org prepress server, a team sequenced 500,000 samples of the virus, called SARS-CoV-2, tested at Helix’s facilities since July 2020.
As of the week of 18 October 2020, only 0.2% of daily positive cases appeared to be related to the UK variant.
The first case was identified in the US on December 31, showing that the variant was in the country much earlier than previously thought.
However, the increase skyrocketed in January.
The UK variant, known as B.1.1.7, has also spread, accounting for 9% of coronavirus cases in New Jersey and 8% in Florida.
Cases linked to B.1.1.7. they have tripled in Ohio over two weeks, going from 33 on March 7 to 128 on Monday
The national proportion of B 1.1.7. cases increased from 0.8 percent of all positive tests during the first week of January 2021 to 3.6 percent in the last week.
According to Walensky, B.1.1.7 accounts for eight percent of all cases in Florida and nine percent in New Jersey.
In addition, cases of the UK variant have tripled in Ohio over two weeks, going from 33 on March 7 to 128 on Monday.
“We’re frankly on a run and we don’t really know what the enemy is doing,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said during a briefing last week.
“But we know from talking to scientists and epidemiologists who believe the variants extend to Ohio.”