Officials across the United States urged caution and continued caution on Sunday, following the identification of a new strain of Covid-19 in the UK
Researchers in the UK estimate that the variant could be up to 70% more transmissible than more established strains. Some of the changes occur in the spike protein on the surface of the virus, which will possibly allow it to cling more easily to and enter human cells. Scientists do not believe it is more deadly.
The new strain was first detected in England in September and was identified last week. European Centers for Disease Control said on Sunday that some cases of the new strain had been reported in Denmark, the Netherlands and possibly Belgium. A similar mutation has appeared in South Africa, according to scientists.
Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government’s coronavirus response program, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that health officials don’t know if the new strain already is in the United States, but they are watching this closely.
He noted that viruses mutate frequently and that RNA viruses such as coronavirus are particularly susceptible to change. However, the protein cannot mutate much, so mutations are unlikely to affect the effectiveness of vaccines.