NEW YORK (AP) â As states lift mask rules and ease restrictions on restaurants and other businesses because of falling case numbers, public health officials say authorities are overlooking potentially more dangerous COVID-19 variants that are quietly spreading through the U.S.
Scientists widely agree that the U.S. simply doesnât have enough of a handle on the variants to roll back public health measures and is at risk of fumbling yet another phase of the pandemic after letting the virus rage through the country over the last year and kill nearly 500,000 people.
âNow is not the time to fully open up,â said Karthik Gangavarapu, a researcher at Scripps Research Institute whose team works closely with San Diego health officials to watch for mutant versions of the coronavirus. âWe need to still be vigilant.â
A new variant of coronavirus has been discovered in New York City that has reportedly been around since November A NEW variant of the coronavirus has been identified in New York City that was first seen late last year, according to researchers. Scientists at Caltech and Columbia University have identified a new variant of Covid-19 that is spreading in New York and carries a mutation that scientists say may weaken the effectiveness of vaccines. Neither study has yet been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal but experts say the variant s spread is real. The New York Times reported yesterday that the new B.1.526 variant first appeared in samples in the city back in November but by the middle of February has come to account for about one in four of viral sequences appearing in a shared scientific database.
Officials say new strand could be more resistant to COVID-19 vaccines. Reaction from Fox News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
A New York City health official on Thursday said there is no evidence showing the newly reported coronavirus variant, B.1.526, is driving trajectory of infections, reduces vaccine efficacy or results in more severe illness. We don’t have any evidence at this point [that] this New York variant, the B.1.526, is what is contributing to the trajectory of cases, which we should emphasize continue to decrease, Dr. Dave Chokshi, New York City health commissioner, said during a briefing Thursday.
The comments come after researchers from Columbia University and the California Institute of Technology each posted early findings on the variant this week ahead of peer-review. Among other results, scientists found the variant included a E484K mutation. This specific mutation on other variants has been a cause for concern regarding impact on vaccine ef
COVID Vaccinations Spawn Battle Over When To End Distancing talkingpointsmemo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from talkingpointsmemo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Research into the new, so-called California variant of COVID-19 indicates it’s more dangerous than the original virus. A study of the California variant.