Shafaq News/ Even with the number of Covid-19 cases coming down, scientists are worrying about variants of the novel coronavirus -- one of which has been detected in the United States for the first time.
The new variant was discovered recently in a US patient who had traveled from Brazil, officials in Minnesota said Monday. It is the first known case of the P.1 variant reaching the United States.
P.1 is one of four variants being closely watched by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The emergence of this variant raises concerns of a potential increase in transmissibility or propensity for SARS-CoV-2 re-infection of individuals," the CDC says on its website.
It's been the most common variant of the virus detected in a surge of cases seen in and around Manaus, the largest city in Brazil's Amazon region.
There's no evidence it causes more severe disease, however.
Another strain, first discovered in the United Kingdom, is also more transmissible.
The CDC has warned that the country could see "rapid growth" in its spread in early 2021. This B.1.1.7 strain has already been detected in 24 US states.
And there's "a realistic possibility" that B.1.1.7 could be deadlier than other variants, a UK report said.
Another strain, first detected in South Africa, is concerning because scientists have said current Covid-19 vaccines might not be as effective against it. That strain has been found in more than 20 other countries, though it has not yet been detected in the US.
Public health officials are extremely concerned about the variants, Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and CNN analyst, told CNN.
"We've seen what happens in other countries that have actually had coronavirus under relatively good control, then these variants took over and they had explosive spread of the virus, and then overwhelmed hospitals," she said.
Wen said the circulation of virus variants underscores the need to increase vaccinations and perform more genomic surveillance.
