CDC: New virus variant will have 'rapid growth' in US at beginning of this year
Health officials say by March, a new and more infectious strain of coronavirus 鈥� first found in the United Kingdom 鈥� will likely become the dominant strain in the United States.
The U.K. variant is currently in 12 states but has been diagnosed in only 76 of the 23 million U.S. cases reported to date. However, it鈥檚 likely that version of the virus is more widespread in this country than is currently reported, according to scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While it鈥檚 considered more infectious than the virus that鈥檚 been causing the bulk of U.S. cases so far, there鈥檚 no evidence that it causes more severe illness or is transmitted differently. Therefore, mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing and other prevention strategies can still work, the CDC says.
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