White House Coronavirus task force has warned states about a more transmissible US Variant of the Coronavirus. Officials expressed concerns over the calls to state governors and discussed the possibility of a new variant in the US, similar to the UK variant.
The officials made it clear that US health officials had not detected the existence of a new variant on American soil. According to reports, there were discussions about whether US health officials should conduct an investigation to find out a new variant that could put more pressure on the healthcare system.
Warnings about the new variant made it into written reports dated January 3, 2021. These reports that warned about the possibility of a "USA variant" of novel Coronavirus were sent to several states.
"This fall/winter surge has been at nearly twice the rate of rising of cases as the spring and summer surges," the report said. It also added that the acceleration in cases has suggested the possibility of a newly evolved USA variant, in addition to the UK variant that has been spreading in the country. Experts believe the UK variant might be 50 percent more transmissible, reported CNN.
But the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said no such identification was made. As reported, the misperception of the new homegrown variant in the US began on a call with state governors, said an administration official.
White House Report
The White House task force reports also warned states about "aggressive community spread" as there were less COVID-19 testing during the holiday season. The reports called on outpatient monoclonal antibody treatment infusion sites to be immediately available and said vaccines must be given to people "now".
The reports asked not to delay the rapid immunization of those who are above 65 and vulnerable group of people. "No vaccines should be in freezers but should instead be put in arms now; active and aggressive immunization in the face of this surge would save lives," said reports from the task force.
While CDC dismissed the existence of a new US variant, more cases of the highly contagious variant found in the UK last year raised concerns among the scientists. They are worried that the country hasn't been doing enough to track genetic changes in the virus.
So far, at least 50 cases of the UK Coronavirus variant have been identified in the US. The scientists are not only worried about the UK variant. They are concerned about new variants of viruses that emerge all the time. But according to them, the country needs a system to quickly detect such variants that could cause the virus to behave differently or make vaccines less effective.
