Top line
The P.1 variant of the coronavirus that helped drive a devastating wave of infections in Brazil is now the second most reported variant in the US, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show, following an increase in new infections and the spread of the B.1.1 virus. 7 British variants that are contagious are now the dominant strains circulating in the US.
the P.1 variant is believed to have originated in Brazil, which is currently facing a severe wave … [+]
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Key facts
Variant P.1, which has grown rapidly in Brazil, think being more contagious than the original strain of Covid-19 and potentially evading an immune response, had been detected in 28 states as of April 8, CDC data show.
434 cases involving the variant have been reported, making it the second most frequently reported variant for the first time.
Most of the cases were reported in Illinois (93), Florida (87) and Massachusetts (102).
P.1 is by far the second most widely reported variant – the B.1.1.7 virus first identified in the UK – which the CDC says is now dominant variant circulating in the US, recorded nearly 20,000 times in all 50 states.
Key Background
Brazil is facing a Covid-19 crisis so bad that only one expert be equalized it’s for a nuclear reaction out of control. The country has the second number of deaths after the US and daily deaths rose to over 4,000 a day this week. While multiple variants have been detected in Brazil, officials in the US and UK believe P.1 is a very concern, most likely more contagious and better able to evade the body’s defenses. It has spread rapidly, helped by President Jair Bolsonaro’s continued refusal to put in place lockdown measures to contain the outbreak.
Big Numbers
345,000. This is the number of people in Brazil who have died from Covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. It is the second highest death toll in the world after the United States, where more than 560,000 people have died.
Further reading
Brazilian Covid Variant: What do we know about P1? (Guardian)
Covid: Brazil had more than 4,000 deaths in 24 hours for the first time (BBC)
The British Coronavirus Variant Is Now The Dominant Strain In The US, The CDC Says (Forbes)
Researchers Says The British Covid-19 Variant That Spreads Fast Up To Twice More Deadly Than Others (Forbes)