“We are not where we want to be in terms of genetic sequencing, although we are in a hurry,” the administration said. “We are starting very late with genetic sequencing.”
To find new strains of the virus, scientists have to genetically sequence samples – spell out the letters in the genetic code and look for changes. Coronaviruses are known to mutate, usually in ways that are harmless to humans. But every now and then a mutation appears that can change how the virus works.
In the US, scientists fear that variants first identified in the UK, South Africa and Brazil may be contaminated, more likely to cause reinfection, or somewhat resistant to existing Covid-19 vaccines.
The fear is that these variants could erase recent progress in lowering Covid-19 case numbers. They can also raise the bar for how many Americans need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
An additional concern for the administration that goes hand in hand with the spread of variants, the administrative official said, is coronavirus fatigue – and to convince Americans to continue carrying out responsible behavior in public health, such as wearing a mask and socializing a year in the pandemic.
It’s not exciting to say, ‘Wear a mask, keep your distance and get your vaccination when it’s your turn. ‘But these are actually the concrete steps people can take to stop this variant. This is the fastest way to stop this variant, “said the official.” It is difficult. People are sick of this. I’m sick of this. “Everyone is sick to live in their homes and not to see their families and not to see their friends.”
In an information session of the White House on Wednesday, the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention, dr. Rochelle Walensky, said the variant first spotted in the UK now accounts for around 1 to 4% of cases in the country.
“We do not believe that the variants are being distributed evenly across the country at the moment,” she said. Walensky did not give estimates of the other variants that were first identified in South Africa and Brazil.
Last month, CDC modeling predicted that the British variant, known as B.1.1.7, could become the dominant tribe in the United States in March. The agency estimates that it is about 50% more transferable than before.
Experts believe that the variants of South Africa and Brazil are more difficult to find than B.1.1.7, because the latter leads to an error in certain PCR tests, which encourages scientists to take a closer look and preferably sequence the samples. . For the other variants, it is often a sample.
“The South African variant has been recognized in a few states with only a few people, but it is most likely more common than that, because we do not yet have the full security guard we are going to do,” said Dr. Anthony said. Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, said at the briefing on Wednesday.
He added that this variant was ‘a bit more problematic’ for what appears to be a partial escape from antibody protection. However, he also pointed to more hopeful evidence that vaccines can provide ‘substantial protection’ against serious illness, hospitalization and death.
Walensky has previously said that the US has increased its succession of efforts and is on track to process at least 7,000 samples per week. But she also reflected statements that more order is needed to track the distribution of variants across the country.
A CDC official earlier told CNN that the UK and some other countries have a more centralized system of sequencing. But in the US, different types of labs – federal, state, academic and private – do the work.
For example, from January 12, Denmark began an effort to sequence all positive samples, a spokesman for the government’s public health institute told CNN last week. Previously, the institute, called Statens Serum Institut, fully followed up about 20% of the positive samples from the beginning of the pandemic.
Only eight states genetically followed up more than 1% of their total cases of coronavirus during the pandemic, compared to a national average, just under 0.4%, according to CDC data. Eighteen states followed up less than 0.1% of their confirmed cases.
Experts earlier told CNN that the US should aim to track 5% to 10% of cases, in line with the sequence of efforts in the UK. Given cases over the past seven days, this would amount to approximately 38,000 to 76,000 series within a week.