“Based on our most recent estimates of CDC surveillance, the B.1.1.7 variant is now the most common sex line circulating in the United States,” Walensky said during the White House’s COVID-19 Response Team briefing.
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Studies have suggested that the British variant is more contagious than the original strain, possibly more dangerous and associated with a higher risk of death.
According to the CDC, there are currently 16,275 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant in the United States.
The country’s daily rate of new business has risen over the past four weeks. Part of this is due to the proliferation of B.1.1.7 and other related variants, Walensky said this week.
Last month, evidence increased that the variant may already be in the US. At the time, the CDC did not want to say whether the variant was dominant, but predicted it would be within a few weeks.