It appears that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is increasing the required submissions of COVID-19 samples by the states in an effort to extend oversight of mutated variants.
The knowledge of the proposed guidance comes amid sharp criticism of the country’s weak surveillance system and as initial cases of the more contagious tension, known as B.1.1.7, first identified in the UK, in the US appears.
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In turn, the CDC is closely monitoring the situation.
“CDC is working with public state health, academic and commercial laboratories to increase the capacity of domestic stress control to track thousands of samples each week,” according to a statement sent to Fox News. “It increases our ability to detect and characterize emerging viral variants in the United States.”
“In GISAID (a global database) there are currently 68,000 series from the United States. Approximately 13,000 US SARS-CoV-2 series were submitted to GISAID in December 2020,” the federal agency added. “Currently, the United States now monitors about 3,000 samples per week. In the coming days, the CDC will provide an estimated 3,500 additional samples per commercial laboratory.”
The mutated strain first identified in the UK, and yet another in South Africa, involves both mutations along the proteins of the virus. (iStock)
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States send the federal health agency at least ten samples twice a week through the CDC’s National SARS-CoV-2 Strain Surveillance (NS3) program, although some states do not reach that point. New York, for example, submits five samples every two weeks through the state’s public health lab, the Wadsworth Center said, a spokesman said.
While some states have told Fox News that the proposed guidelines for enlarging the required samples are still in draft form, and have not yet been released to the public, one North Dakota Department of Health spokesman revealed that the samples will increase twice a week based on population.
“Ten COVID-19 samples are sent to CDC fortnightly for sequencing and further characterization. In February, it will rise to 17 COVID-19 samples,” said Nicole Peske, chief communications officer for the North Dakota Department of Health, in a statement. mail written to Fox. News. “CDC determines what each state sends them. Originally they wanted ten from each state, but in February that changed based on population.”
A Minnesota Department of Health spokesman reiterated the increase in required samples.
“The MN Public Health Laboratory sent ten SARS-CoV-2 positive samples to CDC every two weeks as part of the National SARS-CoV-2 Strain Surveillance (NS3) program and will increase the number to 25 as requested by CDC. , “Doug Schultz, Minnesota Department of Health Information Officer, wrote in a statement. “The guidance on expanding the NS3 program is still in the draft and has not yet been made public.”
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While health officials in Minnesota identified five cases of the British variant this past weekend, Schultz said the samples will be sent to the agency this week for further characterization of the virus. ‘
And health officials in Texas, who according to the CDC’s score, which has only one report of the variant, which probably does not reflect the actual total circulation in the US, confirmed that the CDC has indeed proposed expanding the required samples . But Monday afternoon, they did not receive a formal request to do so.
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‘Texas [Department of State Health Services] Douglas Loveday, a spokesman for the state health agency, currently sent ten positive samples to CDC every two weeks for virus sequencing and culture. “CDC has proposed increasing the number of samples sent from state and local public health laboratories; however, at this time we have not received an official request to send more than we are currently sending.”
Fox News has asked for comment from other state health departments on the issue.
According to the CDC, for example, California carries the majority of the most reported variant cases in 32 of more than 70 cases in ten states.
A more contagious coronavirus strain underscores the need for mitigation steps, such as wearing a mask, hand hygiene and social distance, experts say. (iStock)
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The mutated coronavirus strain first identified in the UK is believed to spread between 50% and 70% more easily, but it is thought to be no longer virulent or evasive as recently approved coronavirus vaccinations. As stress can spread more easily, health officials have urged the public to double mitigation measures, such as wearing masks, washing hands and keeping a safe distance from others.
A more contagious strain threatens to burden already overwhelmed hospitals, eventually leading to further deaths due to the new pathogen already linked to 376,000 deaths in the US alone.