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The variant of the coronavirus that originated in South Africa is already circulating in the US, what others are in the country and cause alarm?

2021-01-29T05:07:49.407Z


Two people in South Carolina are the first detected in the country, although it is possible that "it has spread further." Two other variants circulate in the US that are causing concern, due to their high transmissibility and potential to complicate the response to the pandemic.


A new variant of COVID-19 was identified in the United States this Thursday, which will represent an additional challenge for the country, where more than 3,000 people on average die daily from the virus.

This is the variant called 501Y.V2.

or B.1.351, and that was located for the first time in South Africa, but that already extends to more than 20 countries.

This mutated version of the virus was found in two people living in South Carolina.

According to public health officials, there

are almost certainly more infected people who have yet to be identified.

The South African-native mutation worries scientists about its potential to spread more easily and be more difficult to combat with vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, both approved in the United States for emergency use.

A healthcare worker in Orlando, Florida administers a COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru vaccination center.

Getty Images

The two cases were discovered in adults in different regions of the state and do not appear to be related.

None of the infected people have recently traveled, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday.

"That's scary," because it means there could be more undetected cases within the state, said Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

"It has probably spread more."

[Why are new variants of the coronavirus now appearing?]

The arrival of the South African variant in the United States shows that "the fight against this deadly virus is far from over," Dr. Brannon Traxler, South Carolina's acting director of public health, said in a statement.

"While there are more COVID-19 vaccines on the way,

supplies are still limited,

" he warned.

The South Carolina state health agency said one of the people who was diagnosed with the variant lives in the coastal region of the state and the other on the northeast side.

The state provided little additional information, citing the privacy of those involved, although they said none of it was contagious anymore.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, relaxed most of the state's pandemic restrictions in the fall.

A spokesman for his office said McMaster does not plan to order new restrictions based on the discovery of the variant.

"This is important information for South Carolinians," McMaster said in a tweet, "but it is not cause for panic."

What variants of the coronavirus circulate in the United States and generate alarm?

It is normal for viruses to constantly mutate.

That is why it is also normal that different variants of the coronavirus are circulating in the country and much of the world.

However, scientists in the United States are primarily concerned about the appearance of three of them, which, according to the researchers, may spread more easily.

There are also preliminary signs that some of the recent mutations

may modestly slow the effectiveness of the two

available

vaccines

and certain antibody treatments, although the injections still protect against the disease.

These three variants are:

✔️

One originated in the UK

in September 2020, called B.1.1.7

It is present in about 24 states, with almost 300 cases identified as of this Thursday.

That variant has already been found in at least 46 other countries.

Health authorities have warned that it has increased transmissibility potential, but that it is not yet clear whether it produces a stronger disease.

Although at the end of the month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that this variant "may be associated with a higher degree of mortality."

So far, vaccines are believed to be effective against it.

✔️

One originating in Brazil

, called P.1

It is also present in at least four countries in the world.

There is evidence to suggest that some of the mutations in the P.1 variant may affect its transmissibility and antigenic profile, which may affect the ability of antibodies generated through previous natural infection or through vaccination to recognize and neutralize the virus.

✔️

The one originated in South Africa

and called 501Y.V2.

or B.1.351

It has been detected in at least 23 other countries.

Several small studies show that this variant is less susceptible to antibodies created by natural infection and by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Regeneron, a company that has developed a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies as a therapy for COVID-19 patients, also reported that this variant could evade one of the antibodies in its mix.

Vaccination is the key against new variants

Specialists warn that the key to avoiding the emergence of new variants that could complicate the response to the pandemic is to move forward with vaccination as quickly as possible.

[The FDA issues an alert for all hand sanitizers made in Mexico]

In this way, "we prevent the emergence of other potential variants that could undo this titanic task of developing effective vaccines," Jaime Sepúlveda, executive director of the UCSF global health institute, told Noticias Telemundo.

Biden Announces Purchase of 200 Million More Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine

Jan. 27, 202100: 37

Vaccination in the United States is slower than the Trump Administration had promised.

Just over 1 million doses are being administered daily.

People

need two doses

, separated by an average of three weeks from each other, to achieve the highest immunity against the coronavirus.

Joe Biden launched a vaccination plan of "150 million shots in 100 days."

Of these, only 10 million have been administered.

In the 91 days remaining to reach the goal, 1,550,054 doses per day are needed.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2021-01-29

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