Minnesota health officials have detected the new Covid-19 variant discovered in Brazil in a US patent for the first time.
The Covid-19 variants, dubbed the P.1, was first detected in Brazil and is one of the four variants of the novel coronavirus the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring.
Minnesota officials stated that the patient with the P.1 variant traveled from Brazil and is considered the first known case of the variant that reached the US.
Brazil variant and other strains
In a post on its website, the CDC stated: "The emergence of this variant raises concerns of a potential increase in transmissibility or propensity for SARS-CoV-2 re-infection of individuals."
The P.1 variant is the most common variant of the virus detected in a dramatic increase of Covid-19 cases seen in and around the Brazilian city of Manaus, located in the Amazon region. However, no evidence has been found that the variant causes a more severe disease.
Aside from the Brazil variant, the UK strain is also reportedly more transmissible.
The CDC warned that the US could potentially face a "rapid growth" in the variant's spread in early 2021. Currently, the B.1.1.7 strain has already been detected in 24 US states.
CDC scientists are coordinating with UK health officials to review data suggesting that the UK variant could be deadlier. A CDC official said: “The CDC has reached out to UK officials and is reviewing their new mortality data associated with variant B.1.1.7.”
While only 195 cases of the new variant have been discovered in the US so far, CDC modeling indicates that the UK variant could become the predominant variant in the country by March.
After reviewing the UK report and other data that has not been publicly released, Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and member of President Joe Biden’s coronavirus transition team, said he is “convinced” that the new variant is deadlier.
Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, explained: “The data is mounting — and some of it I can’t share — that clearly supports that B.1.1.7 is causing more severe illness and increased death. Already we know this variant has increased transmission, and so this is more very bad news.”
Meanwhile, White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said the Covid variant detected in South Africa poses a threat to antibody treatments.
After discussions with health experts in South Africa, Dr. Fauci said that preliminary data suggests there is “more of a threat” the strain would break away from some of the protections antibody treatments produce.
“It could be having some impact on protection for the monoclonal antibodies and perhaps even for the vaccine. We don’t know that,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a Q&A session at Schmidt Futures’ Forum on Preparedness.
Travel bans
President Biden will sign a travel ban on people entering the US from South Africa while also reinstating travel restrictions on people coming from the UK and Brazil due to the emergence of new Covid-19 strains in those countries.
Aside from the travel bans on the UK, Brazil and South Africa, travel restrictions will also be imposed on Ireland and most countries in Europe. The UK and Brazil travel bans were recently lifted by former President Donald Trump prior to Biden’s inauguration.
