At least 645 cases of coronavirus variants in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil have been reported in 33 states.
Of this number, at least 626 were related to the UK variant known as B 1.1.7. a DailyMail.com analysis of state and federal data reveals.
More than half of these cases have been reported in Florida and California, and there are two strain-related deaths, one in New Jersey and one in Alabama.
Experts have warned that this variant is expected to become the dominant strain in the US by March.
There are currently five cases of variant B.1.351, which was first detected in South Africa, three of which are in Maryland and two in South Carolina.
In addition, two cases of P.1 strain from Brazil were identified in Minnesota.
It happens that the cases in the USA decrease by more than 50%, but the deaths continue to increase, with more than 5,000 deaths registered yesterday.
A total of 645 cases of coronavirus variants in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil have been reported in 33 countries.
All variants have mutations in their peak protein (encircled in yellow) which makes it more contagious, capable of reinfection and potentially more immune to vaccines.
Due to the rise of new variants, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday that it is developing guidelines to help vaccine, drug and test manufacturers adapt.
Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock said that although all three could work now, there is a possibility that they will not do so in the future.
“We have to prepare for all eventualities,” she said in a call with reporters.
In the next few weeks, Woodcock said the FDA will provide draft recommendations to help products be modified as needed.
In recent weeks there have been concerns about variants of the virus, which appear to be more infectious.
The British variant was first discovered in Kent County and now accounts for at least 61 cases in the UK.
Most estimates make it about 70 percent more infectious, but some studies suggest it could be twice as infectious.
More moderate projections say that its transmissibility is only 56% higher.
Officials in the UK say that this variant could be 30 to 40% more deadly and, so far, there have been two deaths in the US related to the variant.
The South African variant was also first announced in December and shares the mutation with British variants as well as a few others.
President Joe Biden has called for a travel ban for people coming from South Africa in an effort to stop imports of the new variant.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases, says the South African version is the most worrying, as it could make vaccines less effective because of mutations that help it “hide” from antibodies developed after vaccination. or a previous period of COVID- 19.
The variant attracted international attention for the first time when four travelers who arrived in Tokyo from Manaus, Brazil, gave positive results on January 2.
The variant has the same spike protein mutation as the highly transmissible versions found in Kent and South Africa – called N501Y – which makes the spike better able to bind to receptors inside the body.
Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon, was devastated by COVID-19. Hospitals are running out of oxygen, and Brazilian officials say they are in a state of crisis.
Preliminary results suggest that all five main vaccine candidates offer some protection against variants, but the degree has varied.
Two weeks ago, Moderna announced that, although the vaccine still works well enough to be protective against the South African variant, laboratory tests suggest that antibodies triggered by the shot may be 60% less against the virus in vitro. -a cell culture, not a living animal or a person).
Last week, the results of the late Novavax study in the UK showed an efficiency of 95.6% compared to the initial circulating variant and 85.6% compared to B 1.1.7.
However, in the study in South Africa of approximately 4,000 participants, the Novavax shot was not as protective and only its 491Y.V2 variant was shown to be only 49.4% effective.
In a paper published on Friday, the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford proved to be 74% effective against B 1.1.7.
However, the dd findings did not address whether or not the protection extends to B.1.351.
Last week, during a press briefing, Dr. Fauci said that the variants are expected to become more dominant in the US by spring,
In the same briefing, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said that every COVID-19 case in the United States should be treated as if it were a variant case.
Alabama, father of two, dies of “super-COVID” in the UK at the age of 35
A family in Jefferson County, Alabama, is mourning after a father of two died due to the British version COVID-19, only 35 years old.
Alfonzia Jackson Jr., 35, was diagnosed with variant B.1.1.7 early last week while struggling to live at UAB Hospital.
On Tuesday night, his wife, Ashley Jackson, took to Facebook around 9:00 pm to announce that Alfonzia had died.
“Sir, this day has been tough,” Ashley posted on Facebook. “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, because I said goodbye to my amazing husband.”
She continued: “Our girls will really miss you, you were an amazing father and I will keep your memory alive through them and they will always remember you.
WBRC previously reported on Alfonzia Jackson Jr., about whom Ashley said she was hospitalized with COVID symptoms and breathing difficulties on January 22, despite having no idea how she contracted the virus.
“My husband just went home to work,” said Ashley Jackson. – Gas station here and there. Nothing like going out and having fun, just a hard worker.
Rapid tests showed a negative diagnosis for COVID-19, but after surgery to relieve heart failure, a PCR test showed that Alfonzia had COVID-19.
Alfonzia was placed on a fan in the days before his death.
Alfonzia Jackson Jr., Ashley’s husband and father of two daughters, passed away Tuesday night