The new strain of the novel coronavirus that first appeared in the United Kingdom will become more dominant in the United States by the middle of spring, US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci said.
“The projection that is made with regard to the UK [variant] is that by the end of March, the beginning of April it actually will become more dominant in this country,” Fauci said speaking to reporters on Friday.
Fauci said that it is not yet clear whether the South African coronavirus strain – considered to be more infections than the original strain – will eventually dominate in the United States.
The UK coronavirus variant is currently present in at least 28 US states and has been identified in more than 315 patients, according to Fauci.
UK public health officials in December announced the emergence of the new coronavirus strain that is believed to be up to 70 percent more transmissible. The new strain was first discovered in southeast England in September, and subsequently spread rapidly throughout the United Kingdom and continental Europe.
There Are Multiple Coronavirus Variants Around The World, But These 3 Are Most Worrying
There are many variants of the coronavirus circulating around the world, but according to health experts they are primarily concerned with the emergence of three.
As a virus infects people, it can make copies of itself. Some mutations can be so harmful that it can cause it to die out. Others can offer an advantage and help it spread.
Mary Petrone, who studies infectious diseases at Yale University said, “Not every mutation is created equal.” “The virus is going to get lucky now and again.”
There is a possibility that they could make vaccines and treatments less effective, or change the way they infect people, so monitoring these variants is very important.
Until recently, Ohio State University biologist Daniel Jones said, a mutation early in the pandemic led the spread of the virus around the world, but there had been no notable changes since then.
One of the three main variants experts are watching was discovered in the United Kingdom late last year and has been detected in dozens of countries since.
