COLUMBIA, SC – A new variant of coronavirus emerged Thursday in the United States, posing another public health challenge in a country that already loses more than 3,000 people to COVID-19 every day.
The mutated version of the virus, first identified in South Africa, was found in two cases in South Carolina. Public health officials said it is almost certain there are more infections that have not yet been 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 from different regions of the state and do not appear to be connected. None of the infected people have traveled recently, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday.
“This is scary,” because it means there may be more undetected cases in the state, said Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease doctor at South Carolina Medical University in Charleston. “It’s probably more widespread.”
The arrival of the variant shows that “the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, South Carolina’s interim director of public health, said in a statement. “While there are more vaccines against COVID-19 on the way. Each of us must return to the fight recognizing that we are now all in the front line. We are all together.”
Viruses are constantly mutating and coronavirus variants are circulating around the world, but scientists are primarily concerned about the emergence of three that, according to researchers, can spread more easily. Other variants that were first reported in the UK and Brazil were previously confirmed in the US
As variants offer a higher risk of infection in the U.S., pandemic-tired lawmakers in several states backtrack on masked mandates, company closures, and other protection restrictions ordered by governors.
States such as Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky and Indiana are weighing proposals to limit the ability of their rulers to impose emergency restrictions. The Wisconsin Republican-controlled Assembly was expected to vote to revoke Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ masked mandate, but lawmakers abruptly canceled voting Thursday in the face of widespread criticism and, out of concern, would jeopardize more than $ 49 million in federal aid. Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment to deprive the governor of many of his emergency powers.
Governors argue that they need authority to act quickly in a crisis, and that constraints can curb critical emergency responses.
Meanwhile, Nebraska health officials said the state could be within days of lifting restrictions on indoor meetings, citing a low percentage of hospitalizations for COVID-19. Other states that see declining infections are also easing the limitations of restaurants and other businesses, though experts have warned the public to stay vigilant about masks and social distancing or run the risk of growing up.
In South Carolina, the state health agency said the variant was found in one person in the coastal region of the state and another in its northeast corner. The state gave little information, citing privacy issues, although Traxler said none of the people were infected anymore.
“They both tested a lot earlier this month and I understand they are both doing well,” Traxler said.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, eased 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 information is important to South Carolinians,” McMaster said in a tweet, “but it’s not a cause for panic.”
Scientists reported preliminary signs last week that some of the recent mutations could modestly slow down the effectiveness of two vaccines, though they stressed that the shots still protect against the disease. There are also signs that some of the new mutations may undermine virus testing and reduce the effectiveness of certain treatments.
The coronavirus has already made millions sick and killed approximately 430,000 people in the United States.
While the launch of vaccines has been slow, President Joe Biden has pledged to deliver 100 million injections in his first 100 days in office – and suggested the U.S. may be able to reach 1.5 millions of shots a day.
Although some European countries do extensive genetic testing to detect these variants, the United States has done little of this detective work. But scientists have been quickly trying to do more, which has revealed the most contagious variants.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported at least 315 cases of the variant discovered in the United Kingdom in the United States. These reports come from at least 28 states and health officials believe it could become the dominant strain in the United States in 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 Minnesota health officials. He was a person who recently traveled to that 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 more countries.
Some evidence suggests that South African and Brazilian variants may be less susceptible to antibody medications or antibody-rich blood from COVID-19 survivors, which help people fight the virus.
Health officials are also worried that if the virus changes enough, people could get COVID-19 a second time.
Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on most travelers not belonging to the United States from Brazil, the United Kingdom and South Africa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Americans avoid traveling.
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Stobbe reported from New York.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.