COVID Variant in New York State Traverses Other States, Upticks Cases to 735

By Joshua Summers First Posted: Mar 01, 2021 08:43 PM EST

Amid the crusade and roll of the COVID-19 vaccine, SARS-CoV-2 ups its game in infecting healthy host, as a new COVID variant in New York State emerges, expanding its reach with 735 cases across the United States. Bloomberg noted an official's statement saying that the coronavirus variant that rose in November, has a total positive case of 585, experienced an uptick in the last two weeks.

The Strait Times mentioned Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advanced Molecular Detection Program, Dr. Gregory Armstrong, who said that the mutation of the virus has traveled extensively through the New York Region, and individual cases have risen in 14 other states such as Wyoming, Texas, and Maryland.

COVID-19 New York Variant

CNBC pointed out that the new strain of the virus which was called by the researchers B.1.526, rapidly contracts in New York City, and may carry a possibility to weaken the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is used in the vaccine roll across the United States. The novel variant of the virus is deemed to be accountable for about one in four viral orders.

Bloomberg noted Dr. Anthony Fauci from COVID Task Force's statement in a news briefing, saying that the variant might have rooted in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. Fauci added that the New York variant is one of the five variants health experts are keeping their eye on because of its concerning nature.

The Straits Times mentioned that the majority of cases of the New York Variant have been confirmed in New York and Jersey Area. However, Dr. Armstrong adds the terror of the newly discovered variant, as it can be more infectious than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2.

CNBC added that aside from the New York Variant, the federal officials are keeping a close eye on four other variants which the CDC has identified such as 2,400 cases of the variant that first emerged in the United Kingdom, 53 cases from the strain that came from South Africa, and 10 cases that first emerged in Brazil.

Government's Efforts

As of March 1, NPR noted that 15 percent of the population of the United States have been inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine. 7.5 percent got both doses making the record of 75,236,003 doses of the vaccine administered. 78 percent is used among the 96,402,490 vaccine doses distributed in the United States.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stated in a news briefing that 70,000 cases of COVID-19 per day seem better compared to the previous state America has a few months ago. Walensky also reminded that the level of cases with variants spreading, there might be a possibility to lose the ground America has gained in the battle against the virus.

Bloomberg shares Fauci's words, saying that the federal government and the Biden administration are taking the COVID variant in New York very seriously. Anthony West, a specialist from CalTech shared with The Straits Times the possibility of the new coronavirus variant to be not susceptible to the immune response the original vaccines imply to an individual's body.