The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says data suggests the new Covid-19 variant — first reported in UK and now reported in Colorado — has been circulating undetected in the United States and transmitted person-to-person.
"Public health authorities in Colorado detected a variant that was first identified in the UK, in a person who reported no travel history, the lack of reported travel history suggests this variant has been transmitting from person to person in the United States," Dr. Henry Walke, Covid-19 incident manager, said during a briefing Wednesday.
Walke said that even though there is no evidence that this variant causes more severe symptoms, or increase risk of death, they could lead to more cases and "put even more strain on our heavily burdened health care systems."
Additionally, Walke stated that as of today, there's no evidence of a second variant that was first identified in South Africa is circulating in the United States, and researchers are still learning how the two variants respond to different treatments.
"We're still learning how they might respond drugs, and other Covid-19 treatments including monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma," Walke said.