A more contagious coronavirus strain has been identified in 4 states and 33 countries. What we know.

A more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the UK continues to emerge in the US and around the world, threatening to further hamper congested healthcare systems, just as vaccines are starting worldwide.

At least four U.S. states and 33 countries have identified the new variant, known as B.1.1.7. Several countries have also identified an additional variant, which was first identified in South Africa, which also seems to infect humans more easily.

“Because the variants spread faster, it can lead to more cases and burden our healthcare systems heavily,” said Dr. Henry Walke, incident manager of the COVID-19 response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said.

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Colorado has confirmed the first known U.S. case of a new coronavirus strain first identified in the UK.

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“We still need to be vigilant in our prevention measures to slow down the spread of COVID-19.”

Here’s what we know about B.1.1.7.

How much more contagious is the new strain?

The strain, first identified in the UK, spreads more easily and faster than other strains, according to the CDC. The strain was first spotted in south-east England in September and was a quarter of the cases in London by November. By the week of December 9, it was responsible for 60% of the cases in the city.

What makes the new species more contagious?

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, according to the CDC, gets about one new mutation in its genome every two weeks. The British variant has several mutations that affect the “spike protein” on the virus surface that attaches to human cells.

“It can bind better to the receptors in cells and is therefore better transmitted,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, said last week.

Is the new tribe more deadly?

According to the CDC, there is no evidence that B.1.1.7 causes serious illness or increased risk of death.

Is the vaccine effective for the new variant?

Researchers believe that current COVID-19 vaccines are likely to protect against B.1.1.7, but data are needed. According to the CDC, the virus’ will probably have to accumulate several mutations in the ear protein to prevent immunity caused by vaccines or by natural infection.

“From what we know from experience with this mutation and other mutations, it is unlikely that it will have a major impact on vaccine-induced immunity, or the existing immunity against previous strains,” said Dr. Greg Armstrong, director of the CDC ‘s Office for Advanced Molecular Detection. . Armstrong said it was unclear how the variant could respond to COVID-19 treatments, such as monoclonal antibody treatments.

How long is the variant in the US?

Researchers first identified the B.1.1.7 variant in the U.S. in Colorado on December 28 in a COVID-19 patient with no travel history, suggesting that the virus spreads from person to person in the community . It is unclear how widespread the variant has become, experts say.

According to the CDC, viruses accounted for only about 51,000 U.S. cases. The country now has more than 20 million confirmed cases of coronavirus. “Given the small fraction of U.S. infections that are consecutive, the variant may already be in the United States without being detected,” the CDC said last month.

The CDC has said it plans to launch a national tension monitoring program this month that requires each state to submit at least ten samples fortnightly for sequencing.

Where was the new tribe found?

The B.1.1.7 strain has been identified in California, Colorado, Florida and New York, and public health experts expect it to be identified in more states in the coming days.

The tribe has been detected in at least 33 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

South Africa also identified a species such as B.1.1.7, but it emerged independent of B.1.1.7 in October and is not related to it, according to the CDC. Like B.1.1.7, the South African variant (B.1.351) seems to spread easier and faster, but is not worse. US health officials said last week they did not know if the South African tribe was also spreading in the US

A third variant also appeared this autumn and was detected in Nigeria, but according to the CDC, there is no evidence that it is worse or more transmissible.

This article originally appeared in the US TODAY: A more contagious coronavirus strain has been identified in 4 states and 33 countries. What we know.