New York City health officials said Monday that infections with the coronavirus variant, which first appeared in Britain, B.1.1.7, have increased in every city, but slightly more in south Brooklyn, eastern Queens and Staten Island. Genetic analysis shows that B.1.1.7 now accounts for about 30 percent of cases in the country.
The data, which was included in new maps and a report issued by the city, represent the first time officials have offered a zip code level on how worrying variants have spread in New York, surpassing the original versions of viruses and put together in some groups. parts of the city more than others.
The report and maps, published Monday afternoon on the Department of Health’s website, also show that a variant that first appeared in New York City, B.1.526, increased even faster and now accounts for about 45 percent of cases. represent. genetic sequence in the city. The charts released Monday show that although B.1.526 occurs in all five regions, it is slightly more common in the Bronx and parts of Queens.
In general, more than 70 percent of the genetic sequences coronavirus cases now spreading in the city represent worrying variants. The data, which runs from January 1 to March 27, represents less than 5 percent of all positive test results in the city, as the order of capabilities remains limited. As a result, it provides only a glimpse into the full picture of how the variants affect each community.
The city of New York has remained at a high level of coronavirus cases since February, with about 3,000 to 4,000 new cases per day, according to city data. The spread of these variants is likely to be a major reason why the cases no longer suffered as vaccinations increased, the health department said in the report.
Hospitalizations have declined, but very gradually, as the most vulnerable are vaccinated. Mortality has also decreased, but at a slower rate than expected, averaging about 50 per day.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States has seen an exponential rise of B.1.1.7, which is now the most dominant variant across the country. According to the most recent estimates, the variant is about 60 percent more contagious and 67 percent more deadly than the original form of the coronavirus.
It has toppled Europe and helped fuel the worst outbreak in Michigan. Until recently, the rise of the variant in the United States was somewhat camouflaged by the declining infection rates in general, which led to political leaders easing restrictions on in-room dining, social distance, and other measures. The CDC’s efforts to identify these variants have improved significantly over the past few weeks and will continue to grow, although the UK, which has a more centralized healthcare system, launched a highly advanced sequencing program last year to to detect distribution of the B. .1.1.7 variant.
Vaccinations appear to be effective against the variant.
Less is known about the B.1.526 variant, which was first documented by researchers in the Upper Manhattan area of New York City last November and has since spread widely throughout the city and beyond. City officials said the variant may be more communicable, and that it even surpasses B.1.1.7 in some neighborhoods.
But it is still unknown whether the variant has an impact on the severity of the disease, the reinfection or the efficacy of the vaccine. The city said it had no evidence but that it was studying the possibilities.
The city also warned Monday that the P.1 variant, first identified in Brazil, is increasing its presence, although its incidence as a percentage of total cases remains very low.
The city has not released any data or a map showing where P.1 cases were identified. It was said earlier that from the end of March, the variant makes up 1.3 percent of the order of samples – only 24 total cases of P.1. The variant cards released on Monday also did not exclude all postal codes, where the total number of consecutive cases was less than three.
P.1 is also more transmissible than original versions of the virus, and there is evidence of evasion of immunity among both people who have previously had Covid-19 and people who have been fully vaccinated. It is widespread in South America and has appeared in many states.
The city’s report does not mention the B.1.351 variant first found in South Africa, which may partially elude the body’s immune system response. The city has previously compiled all 6 cases of B.1.351 in order.