As health officials continue to eradicate cases of coronavirus variants across the country, Americans can take several steps to protect themselves from infection.
As of Friday, several mutated strains of the virus have been confirmed in the US, including those initially detected in South Africa, Brazil and the UK, and also a local strain in California associated with major outbreaks of the country and more as one-third of cases in Los Angeles, researchers say.
These strains have caused widespread concern because they include mutations along the protein of the virus’ surface peak, which it uses to infect cells. Experts have expressed concern that the mutated strains will reduce the effectiveness of vaccines as the long-term expectation of the prolonged push continues worldwide.
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Early findings suggest that vaccines will remain effective against the strains, although the South African strain in particular has reduced its effectiveness. New findings from Novavax, for example, show that the vaccine is 89% against COVID-19 disease, but it has dropped to 60% among volunteers in South Africa. Including HIV volunteers, the protection against the South African variant was generally 49%, the company said.
Nevertheless, the leadership of health officials remained the same.
“We know that even though we are working hard to defeat COVID-19, the virus continues to develop like all viruses,” Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said in a news release when the state reported the first U.S. cases. of the Brazil confirmed. variant this week. “This is another reason why we want to limit COVID-19 transmission. The fewer people get COVID-19, the fewer opportunities the virus has to develop.”
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The good news is that we can slow down the spread of this variant and all COVID-19 variants by using the proven prevention methods to wear masks, keep social distance, stay home when you are sick and to test where necessary. “
The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dr. Rochelle Walensky, reiterated on Friday that the country’s first two cases of the South African variant announced in South Carolina on Thursday were among two people who had not had it recently. travel history and did not know each other, indicating that tensions were spreading in the community.
While there are still many unknowns about mutated strains, and scientists are addressing answers such as the impact on transmission, virulence and vaccine efficacy, experts believe a good fit is one of the most important factors when considering a coronavirus face mask. .
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As more different cases are identified, experts are investigating whether wearing two masks instead of one can provide even more protection. The CDC is currently studying the effectiveness of dual masks – specifically a cloth mask placed over a medical mask – to stop the spread of coronavirus, but does not yet have ‘hard data’ to support whether it would be better than ‘ to use a single mask. .
Walensky told NBC’s “Today” on Friday that 59% of Americans currently wear masks. According to the CDC, masks should have two layers of breathable fabric, with a tight fit that covers the nose and mouth.
Fox News’ Alexandria Hein and Madeline Farber contributed to this report.