Map: here the COVID variants are most common in NYC

Two coronavirus variants – the first to be identified in New York City and the United Kingdom – have spread across all five districts, according to a new report from the city’s health department released on Monday. The few mutants have taken over the majority of the cases analyzed by genomic sequencing, which now accounts for almost three out of four. But officials have yet to find evidence that the variant causes re-infections or protects the vaccine.

The report sets out how the landscape of variants in New York has changed rapidly since January as the city’s observation programs have skyrocketed. The New York City variant, called B.1.526, makes up the majority of cases. The UK variant (B.1.1.7) also rose sharply as it did across the country to become the dominant form of the virus in US NYC officials, reports a small increase in the variant from Brazil (P .1), but so far it makes up for some of the issues that make up order.

The city’s public health lab as well as the public-private partnership at the Pandemic Response Lab now follow more than 5% COVID-positive nasal swabs per week. The duo found that different cases were spread across the five districts, but were concentrated in some sections. Data in zip codes with less than three consecutive instances was omitted.

The New York City variant is slightly more common in the Bronx and in Queens.

The one from the United Kingdom is elevated in south Brooklyn, eastern Queens and Staten Island – but overall it has fewer cases in the city compared to the New York City tribe.

Genetically consecutive COVID-19 cases are reported in a global database called GISAID, and variants accounted for 10% of NYC submissions in January. They now make up 70% by mid-March. New variants are the basis for what the pandemic looks like this year, and health experts are worried that the mutants are in a race against local vaccination campaigns.

The city report says the variant explains the recent high plateau of COVID-19 cases in the city. Since mid-February, the daily COVID-19 cases have mostly remained between 3,000 and 4,000, although city data from the first week of April suggest that things are slipping downwards again. It is the lowest since early December, but by comparison, new positives hovered between 300 and 600 from July to September when the city was safely in silence. The infection rates in four of the five districts – Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens – are slightly lower than 1.0, which means that the outbreaks there are slowly shrinking. Staten Island has a higher infection rate and the highest fall rate in the five districts. The metro area infection rate (which includes counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania) is generally less than one.

Research shows that the British variant is 50% more transmissible and can also make people sicker. Scientists do not yet understand the contagion of the NYC variant, but city health officials acknowledge that it is likely to be more transmissible.

The report also emphasized that to date there is no evidence to suggest that any variant reduces the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. Infectious disease experts still remain concerned about the New York City variant, as it may have a specific mutation that could help the virus evade the body’s defense system. The mutation is known as E484K, which scientists call “Eek”.

The city says it is carefully looking for possible cases that indicate a disturbing shift, such as hospitalizations or deaths among different cases or patients who have recovered from infections with the original strain and are now re-infected by a variant.

The Department of Health noted: ‘It is too early to know whether one of these variants is more likely to cause re-infection or breakthrough by vaccines compared to other variants previously in circulation.’ It highlights the most important precautions New Yorkers should take: wearing a mask, removing, staying home when you are sick and washing your hands.