This is a health update for the Americas from the CDC. This article includes CDC based information and revelations that a new variant has been discovered. At this time — it is understood that the variant has not yet widely spread though if vaccination rates don’t soon pick up that could dramatically and likely will change.
LINK: Visit Science Alert for an in-depth profile and understanding of the new variant detected by the CDC.
AY.4.2 first emerged in the UK about a week or so ago according to officials. The same strain has now been detected in America and is understood (per UK officials) to be at least 10-15% more transmissible than the original Delta variant. According to a statement from the CDC on Wednesday during a presser it reads as follows:
“We have, on occasion, identified this sub-lineage here in the United States, but not with recent increased frequency or clustering to date,” Walensky said.
“At this time, there is no evidence that the sub-lineage AY.4.2 impacts the effectiveness of our current vaccines or therapeutics and we will continue to follow.”