A new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa has been found in the United States for the first time, with two cases diagnosed in South Carolina.
The two cases don’t appear to be connected, nor do the people have a history of recent travel, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said.
“That’s frightening,” because it means there could be more undetected cases within the state, said Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious diseases physician at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. “It’s probably more widespread.”
The arrival of this variant now surging in other countries shows that “the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Interim Public Health Director, said in a statement.
“While more Covid-19 vaccines are on the way, supplies are still limited. Every one of us must recommit to the fight by recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together.”
The two people infected with this variant are adults; one is from South Carolina’s Lowcountry and the other from the Pee Dee region, the state said, while withholding other information to protect their privacy.
Viruses are constantly mutating, with coronavirus variants circulating around the globe, but scientists are primarily concerned with the emergence of three of them. Other variants first reported in the United Kingdom and Brazil were previously confirmed in the US Researchers believe these three variants may spread more easily, and predicted it was only a matter of time before they appeared here.
Also, scientists last week reported preliminary but troubling signs that some of the recent mutations may modestly curb the effectiveness of two current vaccines, although they stressed that the shots still protect against the disease. And there are signs that some of the new mutations may undermine tests for the virus and reduce the effectiveness of certain treatments.
The coronavirus has already sickened millions and killed more than 400,000 people in the United States.
While some European countries do extensive genetic testing to detect these variants, the US has done very little of this detective work. But scientists have been quickly trying to do more, and they’re spotting these apparently more contagious variants as they do.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported at least 315 cases of the UK-discovered variant in the United States. Those reports have come from at least 28 states, and health officials believe it could become the dominant strain in the US by March. That variant has been reported in at least 70 countries.
The first US case of the variant found in Brazil was announced earlier this week by health officials in Minnesota. It was a person who recently traveled to that South American nation. That version of the virus has popped up in more than a half-dozen countries.
The variant first found in South Africa was detected in October. It since then has been found in at least 30 other countries.
Some tests suggest the South African and Brazilian variants may be less susceptible to antibody drugs or antibody-rich blood from Covid-19 survivors, both of which help people fight off the virus.
Health officials also worry that if the virus changes enough, people might get Covid-19 a second time.
President Joe Biden on Monday reinstated Covid-19 travel restrictions on most non-US travelers from Brazil, the UK and South Africa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that Americans do not travel at this time.
Aina mpya ya virusi vya corona iliyogunduliwa Afrika Kusini imepatikana nchini Marekani kwa mara ya kwanza, na kesi mbili zimegunduliwa katika jimbo la South Carolina. Kesi hizo mbili hazionekani kuwa zimeunganishwa, wala watu hao hawana historia ya kusafiri hivi karibuni, Idara ya Afya na Udhibiti wa Mazingira ya South Carolina ilisema. "Hiyo ni ya kutisha, kwa sababu inamaanisha kunaweza kuwa na visa zaidi visivyogunduliwa ndani ya jimbo hilo", alisema Daktari Krutika Kuppalli, daktari wa magonjwa ya kuambukiza katika Chuo Kikuu cha Matibabu cha South Carolina huko Charleston. "Kufika kwa aina hii ya virusi sasa inayoongezeka katika nchi nyingine inaonyesha kwamba ""mapambano dhidi ya virusi hivi vyenye kuua hayajaisha,"" Dk Brannon Traxler, Mkurugenzi wa Muda wa Afya ya Umma wa DHEC, alisema katika taarifa. " """Wakati chanjo za COVID-19 zinaanza kutolewa, bado kuna upungufu wa vifaa." """Kila mmoja wetu lazima ajitahidi tena katika mapambano kwa kutambua kwamba sisi sote tuko katika mstari wa mbele sasa." "Watu wawili walioambukizwa na aina hii ni watu wazima, mmoja ni kutoka Lowcountry ya South Carolina na mwingine kutoka mkoa wa Pee Dee, ""alisema serikali, wakati akificha habari nyingine kulinda faragha yao." Virusi vinaendelea kubadilika, na aina tofauti za virusi vya corona zinazunguka duniani kote, lakini wanasayansi wana wasiwasi hasa na kuibuka kwa tatu kati yao. Vipindi vingine vilivyoripotiwa kwa mara ya kwanza nchini Uingereza na Brazil viliwahi kuthibitishwa nchini Marekani, watafiti wanaamini kwamba aina hizi tatu zinaweza kuenea kwa urahisi zaidi na kutabiri kuwa ni suala la muda tu kabla ya kuonekana hapa. Wanasayansi pia waliripoti wiki iliyopita ishara za awali lakini zenye kusumbua kwamba baadhi ya mabadiliko ya hivi karibuni yanaweza kupunguza ufanisi wa chanjo mbili za sasa, ingawa walisisitiza kuwa chanjo bado zinalinda dhidi ya ugonjwa huo. Kuna dalili kwamba baadhi ya mabadiliko hayo mapya yanaweza kudhoofisha vipimo vya virusi na kupunguza ufanisi wa matibabu fulani. Virusi vya Corona vimewaua watu zaidi ya 400,000 nchini Marekani Wakati nchi za Ulaya zinafanya majaribio makubwa ya maumbile ili kugundua tofauti hizi, Marekani imefanya kidogo sana ya kazi hii ya upelelezi. Lakini wanasayansi wamekuwa wakijaribu kufanya mengi zaidi, na wanagundua aina hizi zinazoonekana kuwa zenye kuambukiza zaidi. Vituo vya Marekani vya kudhibiti na kuzuia magonjwa vimeripoti angalau kesi 315 za aina ya virusi vilivyogunduliwa nchini Uingereza. Ripoti hizo zimetoka katika majimbo 28 na maafisa wa afya wanaamini kuwa virusi hivyo vinaweza kuwa vimelea vya kwanza nchini Marekani kufikia mwezi Machi. Aina hiyo ya virusi imeripotiwa katika nchi 70 hivi. Kesi ya kwanza ya virusi vya corona nchini Marekani ilitangazwa mapema wiki hii na maafisa wa afya huko Minnesota. Alikuwa mtu aliyesafiri hivi karibuni kwenda nchi hiyo ya Amerika Kusini. Aina hiyo ya virusi imepatikana katika nchi zaidi ya sita. Aina ya kwanza iliyopatikana Afrika Kusini iligunduliwa Oktoba. Tangu wakati huo, imeonekana katika nchi nyingine angalau 30. Uchunguzi fulani unaonyesha kwamba aina za virusi vya Afrika Kusini na Brazil zinaweza kuwa na uwezo mdogo wa kuathiriwa na dawa za antibodi au damu yenye antibodi kutoka kwa waokokaji wa COVID-19, ambazo zote mbili husaidia watu kupambana na virusi. "Wafanyakazi wa afya pia wana wasiwasi kwamba ikiwa virusi vitabadilika vya kutosha, watu wanaweza kupata COVID-19 mara ya pili. """ Rais Joe Biden ameweka tena vizuizi vya kusafiri kwa COVID-19 kwa wasafiri wengi wasio wa Marekani kutoka Brazil, Uingereza na Afrika Kusini. Kituo cha Kudhibiti na Kuzuia Magonjwa kinapendekeza kwamba Wamarekani wasisafiri wakati huu.