(Victoria Bekiempis/ The Guardian) — As authorities revealed that a new Covid-19 variant has been detected in the US, medical experts are emphasizing that high-risk persons should resume masking to prevent potentially deadly infection. Warnings from these physicians come amid an ongoing increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that scientists have discovered a new coronavirus variant, BA 2.86, during routine monitoring of wastewater. Officials said that this variant’s “large number of mutations” has prompted concerns that it could evade immunity derived from vaccination and prior infections more than other variants.
While the CDC said it was “too soon” to know whether BA 2.86 will lead to more severe illness in comparison to other variants, officials said that data from locations where it has been discovered have not shown any signs that it is particularly virulent. These areas have not seen signs of increased transmission – such as higher infection rates or emergency room visits – though CDC officials noted it was “too soon” to analyze BA 2.86’s impacts based on these data. (…)