New COVID Strain in USA
The CDC warns that a new fast-spreading COVID mutation could already be in the USA. The UK sounded the alarm about a new strain of the virus. This mutation is far more contagious than the previously identified strain. Now, another new strain has popped up in Africa.
COVID is already incredibly contagious. Experts say it spreads 10 times faster than flu and is 10 times more likely to kill you. While this new variant doesn’t appear to be more severe than the previous version of COVID, it looks to be way more contagious. UK experts say it is between 50 and 70% more transmissible.
New Virus Strain Spreading Rapidly
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ramped up lockdown rules as a result of the announcement. Millions of UK citizens were forced to cancel Christmas plans. Many European countries responded by closing their borders to UK travel. That prompted a rush at airports for people scrambling to get in or out of the country.
The World Health Organization said the new virus mutation has already shown up in the Netherlands, Italy, Iceland, Denmark, and as far away as Australia.
Another mutation of the virus has been spotted in South Africa. The Africa CDC said. “Africa CDC is closely following up with authorities in South Africa. The variant was first identified in Nelson Mandela Bay and has rapidly spread through the Eastern and Western Capes, as well as KwaZulu-Nata.”
Is New COVID Strain In USA?
So, is the new virus in the USA? The United States Centers for Disease Control said it hasn’t been spotted. But it takes a sequencing test to discover it and only 51,000 of the 17 million US COVID cases have undergone sequencing. “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. Given the small fraction of US infections that have been sequenced, the variant could already be in the United States without having been detected.”
What should you do? Experts across the world agree that people should continue to:
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- wear masks
- practice social distancing
- wash their hands frequently
- avoid large gatherings