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The first SARS-CoV-2 mutant detected in the United Kingdom, according to new data, has rapidly become dominant in some countries and doubles every 10 days in the United States.
Nicole L, Deputy Director of Research at Genomics Company Helix. Findings by Washington, PhD and colleagues Post Preprint server sunday medRxiv.. This treatise has not been peer-reviewed in scientific journals.
Researchers also found that the U.S. infection rate of the variant labeled B.1.1.7 was 30% to 40% higher than that of the more common strains.
The clinical outcome was initially thought to be similar to other SARS-CoV-2 mutants, Early report Infection with the B.1.1.7 variant suggests that it may increase the risk of death by about 30%.
Christian Andersen, co-author of the current study, New York Times , “There is nothing surprising in this treatise, but people need to see it.”
“By March, we’ll have to prepare for this to become the predominant lineage in most parts of the United States,” said Andersen, a virologist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
B.1.1.7 Variant research adds support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Forecast Last month it will dominate by March.
“Our study shows that the United States is on a similar trajectory to other countries, with B.1.1.7 rapidly becoming a major variant of SARS-CoV-2, with COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. We need quick and decisive action to minimize rates, “the researchers write. ..
The authors point out that the B.1.1.7 mutant became the predominant SARS-CoV-2 strain in the UK within two months of detection.
“Since then, this variant has been increasingly observed in many European countries, including Portugal and Ireland, and like the United Kingdom, the devastating wave of COVID-19 after B.1.1.7 became dominant. Was observed, “the author writes.
“Category 5” storm
They write that the B.1.1.7 variant is likely to have spread across US states since at least December.
Medscape Medical news report As of January 15th and 13th, the B.1.1.7 variant was found in 76 cases in 12 states in the United States. Early release CDC Weekly morbidity and mortality report (MMWR).
As of Sunday 690 cases According to the CDC, the B.1.1.7 variant in the United States in 33 states
Washington and colleagues have investigated more than 500,000 coronavirus test samples from cases across the United States that have been tested at the San Mateo, California-based helix facility since July.
In the study, they found an inconsistent prevalence of variants throughout the state. By last week in January, researchers estimated B.1.1.7’s share of the U.S. population to be about 2.1% of all COVID-19 cases, but about 2 of all COVID-19 cases. It turned out that it occupies%. About 4.5% of cases in California and Florida. The authors acknowledge that data is less robust outside of these two states.
It seems to be a relatively infrequent frequency, but “our estimates are that its growth rate has increased by at least 35% to 45%, doubling every week,” the author writes.
“The true sequencing diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in this country is still unknown, as US laboratories sequence only a small subset of SARS-CoV-2 samples,” they say.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director, Center for Infectious Diseases Research Policy, University of Minnesota, MPHSaid last week The United States is facing a “Category 5” storm due to the spread of the B.1.1.7 variant and the first identified variants in South Africa and Brazil.
“You’ll see something you’ve never seen in this country,” Osterholm recently told NBC. Meet the Press.
Lead author Nicole L. Washington and many of the co-authors are Helix employees. The other co-authors are Illumina employees. Three co-authors own shares in ILMN.
The work was funded by A new frontier research fund provided by the Illumina, Helix, Innovative Genomics Institute (CYC), and the Canadian Institute of Health (CYC).
Marcia Frellick is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. She has previously contributed to the Chicago Tribune, Science News, Nurse.com and was the editor of the Chicago Sun-Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, and St. Cloud (Minnesota) Times. Follow her on Twitter. @mfrellick
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