The United States is playing a “completely new game” in terms of coronavirus control now that variants are spreading across the country, Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy, told CBS News on Friday. the University of Minnesota.
Why it’s important: Osterholm said the United States could face another rise in variant B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the United Kingdom and has since been detected in the United States. .
What they say: “I think at the moment we are in the eye of a hurricane in terms of the good news, the vaccine is coming, but the big challenge [is] with this new variant that has come here from Europe, “Osterholm told CBS News.
- “But beyond that, it’s all about the variants and the vaccine, and that will determine where we will be next year, next year and next year.”
- Osterholm predicted that by the time the United States will be able to vaccinate more of its population “we will see this increase in B.1.1.7 occur.”
The big picture: His warning comes when several states across the country relax or roll back coronavirus restrictions.
In depth: The new European coronavirus point is a warning to the US