The state epidemiologist has warned school administrators in Connecticut about the possible threat of a COVID variant that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to be the dominant tension in March.
Maura Fitzgerald, spokesperson for the department of public health, during a weekly conversation with school supervisors, state epidemiologist, dr. Matt Cartter, given an update on the variants.
‘He acted in his comments what other countries have done as a result of the transmission of the variant, and believes that this is one of the answers that could be entertained in the US if the UK or another variant were the dominant tribe be, ”Fitzgerald said.
The UK has closed schools to most students in response to rising infection rates. Premier Boris Johnson has indicated that schools may reopen on Wednesday in March, reports the Associated Press.
In his remarks during the call, Cartter also noted that the CDC “expects the variant to become the predominant virus in the US by March,” Fitzgerald said. “He did not recommend that people in Connecticut prepare for a shutdown, or make any allegations about the impact there is in Connecticut.”
In a letter sent Wednesday to faculty and families, Ridgefield Superintendent Susie Da Silva said state health officials warned during the call about the new variant.
“The Connecticut Department of Public Health has notified school districts that they need to be prepared for the possibility of full distance education in March due to the possibility of a more contagious variant of the virus occurring in Connecticut,” Da Silva told the school community in Ridgefield.
Patrice McCarthy, deputy director and chief adviser to the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, was among those on the call, saying she interprets the message that schools can be remote on a regional rather than nationwide basis, time has happened.
“I think superintendents, board members – everyone realizes they still need to be flexible” based on medical and scientific advice, McCarthy said. “No matter how important it is to keep students in school, we are not going to do it if it is unhealthy.”
As confirmed cases of an increase in COVID-19 in Connecticut, health experts say that the basic precautions to wear a mask and social removal are the best defense against the highly contagious stress.
“Until the entire population is vaccinated, we must remain safe,” said Dr. Zane Saul, head of the contagious disease, said at Bridgeport Hospital. “We expect these tribes to appear, and we must follow best practices everywhere.”
Connecticut health officials reported Wednesday that 2,440 new COVID infections were found in 55,474 new tests for a one-day positivity rate of 4.4 percent. There were also 52 fewer hospitalizations, bringing the total to 1,016.
But dozens of new deaths have also been reported, with another 42 deaths attributed to the virus, bringing the death toll from the state to 6,976.
Government Ned Lamont announced Monday that four more cases of the UK’s highly contagious variant have been detected in Connecticut, bringing the state’s total to at least eight. The announcement comes days after Johnson held a press conference, where his chief scientific adviser said the variant was not only more contagious than the original, but possibly more deadly.
During the event, Sir Patrick Vallance, the scientific officer, said that the previous COVID mortality rate among people in their 60s was ten deaths for every 1000 people who tested positive. However, there is evidence that the mortality rate among the age group has increased to 13 to 14 deaths for every 1,000 since the new variant was discovered.
However, Vallance warned, it remains unknown whether the new variant will cause the increased mortality rate. He said the “evidence is not yet strong.”
Even if the virus is not more deadly, it is still between 30 and 70 percent more contagious, and that is cause for concern, experts said.
“It is very likely that the British tribe will eventually become the dominant tribe in the United States,” based on how contagious it is, said Dr. Fred Browne, vice president of medical affairs and a doctor on the disease at Griffin Hospital, said.
Keith Grant, senior systems director of infection prevention at Hartford Healthcare, agrees that the UK variant is a serious threat to exacerbate the pandemic. There also appear to be more COVID variants spreading rapidly, including those centered in California and South Africa.
“We expect to see these deviations around the world,” Grant said. “I think we’re going to keep seeing these mutations in general.”
The California variant is of particular concern because it may be contributing to a recent increase in cases in the southern region of the state. According to research released by Cedars-Sinai earlier this month, the variant was found in more than one-third of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles. The researcher could not confirm whether this new strain is more lethal than other forms of COVID.
Variants have also been detected elsewhere, including South Africa and Brazil.
Grant said the biggest concern about the variant is that it is more contagious than the original COVID-19. If there is a variant that appears to be vaccine-resistant or more deadly than the original, it could make the concern even greater, he said. The best way now is to be vigilant, he said.
“They just make sure they do the same thing they did in terms of protection,” he said.