USA variant of Covid-19 found, new strain more transmissible warns White House task force

In the latest report, the White House coronavirus task force stated that the United States may have its own version of a more transmissible variant of Covid-19 that might be helping fuel the already aggressive spread of the virus. According to CNN, the reports sent by the task force to states dated to January 3 warned of the possibility of a 'USA variant' of Covid-19. 

"This fall/winter surge has been at nearly twice the rate of rising of cases as the spring and summer surges. This acceleration suggests there may be a USA variant that has evolved here, in addition to the UK variant that is already spreading in our communities and maybe 50 per cent more transmissible," reported by CNN.

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The task force further called for aggressive mitigation in response to a much more aggressive virus, which should include the use of face masks and immediate vaccination of as many people as possible.

"Without the uniform implementation of effective face masking (two or three-ply and well-fitting) and strict social distancing, epidemics could quickly worsen as these variants spread and become predominant," said the report.

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This comes ahead of a new variant that was reported in the United Kingdom last year, which is said to be 70 per cent more transmissible.

"The United States remains at a high plateau of 140-150,000 confirmed and suspected COVID admissions per week and 120-125,000 total inpatients. Significant continued deterioration, from California across the Sunbelt and up into the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, despite low testing rates during the holidays, suggests aggressive community spread," the task force reports said.

Among the top 10 states in the US, California is the state with the newest cases per 100,000 population this week, followed by Arizona, Kansas, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Utah, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, and Massachusetts, as per CNN. After the holiday season, the task force continued to warn states of "aggressive community spread", and said that vaccines must "be put in arms now".

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US COVID vaccination campaign 

With Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines being authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the vaccination campaign in the country has already begun.

According to the latest update by Johns Hopkins University with 21,818,572 overall infections and 368,296 deaths, the US has become the worst affected nation hit by the pandemic. 

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(With ANI Inputs)