Covid-19 variants account for about 78% of recent Covid-19 cases in New York, according to data released Monday by the city’s health department.
Nearly 1,500 virus specimens were collected March 22-28 and genetically sequenced by the New York City Pandemic Response Laboratory. Of these specimens, approximately 30% were identified as B.1.1.7, the variant first identified in the United Kingdom Another 45% of the genetically sequenced samples were identified as B.1.526, the variant first discovered in New Britain. York City.
B.1.1.7 is classified as a variant of concern by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because it has been found to be more communicable and cause more severe infections. B.1.526 is a variant of interest, with ongoing studies on its effects on disease severity and vaccine efficacy.
The prevalence of both variants has increased rapidly in New York. In the second half of February, B.1.1.7 accounted for about 10% of the genetically sequenced specimens, and B.1.526 accounted for about 35% of those sampled.
About 5% of the confirmed cases were genetically sequenced, and both B.1.1.7 and B.1.526 were identified in all five districts of the city, according to the city’s health department.
“The proportion of concerns and options is growing,” the report said, suggesting that the spread of specific variants, potentially due to their higher infectivity, is one of the reasons COVID-19 cases in New York remain on the plateau. high from 3,000 to 4,000 new cases every day. ”
In the past seven days, New York City has reported more than 15,000 new cases of Covid-19, an improvement over the average of nearly 19,000 cases per week in recent weeks, according to data released by the city’s health department. However, New York City ranks 20th for the latest Covid-19 cases per capita in U.S. metropolitan areas in the past week, according to data from the White House Covid-19 Team.
At the national level, B.1.1.7 accounted for approximately 44% of the samples collected between March 14 and March 27, and B.1.526 accounted for approximately 6% of the samples, according to data published by the CDC.