The highly contagious Covid-19 variant first identified in the UK has now been reported in every state in the US, and experts are concerned spreading variants could send cases surging.
Here's what you need to know:
About the variant
- The B.1.1.7 variant was first spotted in the United Kingdom. It spreads more easily and appears to be deadlier as well.
- More than 15,000 cases of that have been reported in the US so far.
What officials and health experts are saying
- Covid-19 cases have been on the rise for four straight weeks in part because of the spread of variants, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci has pleaded with the US public to "hold out just a bit longer" as health experts fear coronavirus variants and pandemic fatigue could lead to a spring surge.
- Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of Brown University School of Public Health warned that states need to hold off on lifting restrictions for another few weeks, saying, "we're not there yet and the variants make it particularly concerning."
The role of vaccines
- States are also racing to get ahead of the variants by intensifying their vaccine rollouts.
- The good news is that existing vaccines are very effective against the variants. The bad news is that the US may not be able to administer them fast enough to avoid another surge, Dr. Michael Osterholm, director for the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota said.
- President Biden meanwhile plans to announce today that he is moving up his deadline for states to make all American adults eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by almost two weeks. He will move up the deadline to April 19 from his original deadline of May 1.