The Covid-19 mutation first identified in South African has now surfaced in South Carolina & Maryland. Maryland announced it’s first case on Saturday and has ensured citizens that thorough contact tracing is underway. While South Carolina acknowledged the variants presence on Thursday. Health officials in both states are concerned due to the variation being more contagious and easier to transmit than the original virus.
The CDC released a statement on the South African variant saying the “CDC is aware that the first US documented cases of the B .351 variant of SARS-CoV2, which was first detected in South Africa, have been identified in South Carolina.
“CDC is early in it’s efforts to understand this variant and will continue to provide updates as we learn more. At this time we have no evidence that infections by this variant cause more severe disease. Like the UK and Brazilian variants, preliminary data suggests this variant may spread more easily and quickly than other variants.”
Clinical trial results have shown that the mutations are reducing the vaccines potency and fear it will undermine efforts to vastly vaccinate. Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke on the Covid-19 variants stating “Clearly, the mutants have a diminishing effect on the efficacy of the vaccines. We can see that we are going to be challenged.”
A researcher for Harvard’s medical school namely “Dr. Dan Barouch said “it’s a different pandemic now.” Pfizer’s Chief Executive said the variants have a “high possibility” of causing the currently crafted doses to be ineffective but did remain optimistic saying “science will prevail” according to the Business Insider.
BY: BEWITTY Staff
Published by