New COVID variant in the US

A worrisome future develops as a new COVID-19 variant begins dispersing across the US., Originating from the U.K, the first two positive cases have appeared in males, although neither have been identified traveling internationally, according to NPR. Additionally, the new, more contagious, COVID strain is being referred to as B.1.1.7 or VUI-202012/01. However, one misconception is that the new COVID variant causes people to become more ill, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, rather, it’s thought to be more transmissible, according to CNBC.

The first states that have been detected to confirm cases of the new variant are California, Florida, Colorado, and New York between Dec. 29, 2020 to Jan. 4, 2021. Florida’s governor, DeSantis, explicitly stated that additional lockdowns and mask mandates are “totally off the table,” meaning that despite the more contagious variant, no extra action will be taken to prevent it, according to NPR. California’s governor, Newsom, said that six cases of the new variant have been detected, all appearing to come from Southern California which extended its stay-at-home order, according to CNBC.

On January 7, 2021, Texas identified its first positive case of the variant from Harris County with no recent travel history. Health officials state that the variant is circulating across Texas, infecting people faster than before, according to CNBC.

On January 12, 2021, Maryland Governor Hogan announced that the new COVID strain has been found in Maryland. The positive cases have been identified in two Marylanders, one of which has traveled internationally, according to Washingtonian. Hogan didn’t hint any sort of lockdowns, rather, he warned Marylanders to continue wearing masks and take COVID measures with caution.

On January 13, 2021, researchers found the new COVID variant in Columbus, Ohio and despite the discovery, it was deemed ‘expected’ by chief medical officer of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Vanderhoff. Similar to Maryland Governor Hogan’s statement, Dr. Vanderhoff also suggested increased focus on COVID masking measures.

Between January 25 and 26, three more states have announced the COVID variant which include: Hawaii, Virginia, and Kentucky. Two cases have been discovered in Hawaii including in Oahu and Maui, none of which appeared to be related to travel, despite assuming that the variant was brought by West Coast travelers, according to StarAdviser. Following Hawaii, Virginia Health Commissioner, Dr. Oliver, announced one positive case originating from the new strain in Northern Virginia, according to WSLS. Finally, Kentucky Governor, Beshear, announced their first case of the B.1.1.7 strain.

As the new COVID strain, B.1.1.7, continues to spread across America, we need to ensure safety among all individuals to reduce the risk of positive cases, death rates, and transmission.

Article by Margaret Georgiev of Walter Johnson High School

Photo by May Pham of Walter Johnson High School