CDC: Deadlier UK COVID variant could become dominant U.S. strain

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects the highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom to become the dominant U.S. variant of the virus by the end of March. Over 4,700 cases have been reported so far, and the strain comprises up to 25% of reported cases in California and Florida. The variant is more contagious and up to 100% more lethal than the virus’s original strains. With the United States experiencing approximately 50,000 cases of COVID-19 per day, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, urged Americans to remain vigilant against transmission. (UPI article, 3/15/21)