Fauci: British variant can account for 30% of American coronavirus infections

The coronavirus variant first discovered in the UK could account for up to 30% of new COVID infections in the US, Anthony Fauci, director of the NIAID, said during an information session on the White House virus on Friday said.

Why it matters: The variant, called B.1.1.7, has been detected in the US, and studies have suggested that it appears to spread more easily than the original strain of the virus.

Context: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in January that the B.1.1.7 variant could become the dominant strain of the virus this month.

• The news comes after several states across the country relaxed or reversed their coronavirus restrictions.

What he says: “As you know, this variant is becoming more and more dominant in our own country every day,” Fauci said. “We are currently in a place where we will increase approximately 53,000 cases per day.”

• ‘The concern is that there are a number of states, cities and regions across the country that are using some of the mitigation methods we have been talking about: the withdrawal of mask mandates, and the withdrawal to essentially non-public health measures are being implemented, He added.
• Fauci said the best way to counteract the variant is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible while maintaining the health measure to prevent the spread of the virus.

The whole picture: Several European countries are currently managing an increase in cases due to variants.

• Italy has again entered an exclusion this week which is expected to last at least until Easter weekend.
• Regions across France, including Paris, began a month-long exclusion on Friday.
• German Health Minister Jens Spahn warned on Friday that COVID-19 cases were rising at an ‘exponential rate’ in the country and that there might not be enough vaccine doses available to avoid a third wave.

Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said last week that he believes the U.S. could once again experience a boom in the B.1.1.7 variant.