Scientists work in a lab testing COVID-19 samples at New York Metropolis's well being division, through the outbreak of the coronavirus illness (CO
Scientists work in a lab testing COVID-19 samples at New York Metropolis’s well being division, through the outbreak of the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) in New York, April 23, 2020.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
New York state is operating about 1,000 genome exams per week to search for new, extra infectious Covid variants, the state’s well being commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker, mentioned at a press convention Friday.
“The brand new strains are scary: the U.Okay. pressure, Brazil pressure, now the South Africa pressure,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo mentioned on the briefing. “The U.Okay. pressure is right here.”
Zucker mentioned the state has run about 6,000 genome exams up to now and has discovered solely the pressure that originated within the U.Okay. New York officers have recognized 25 of these instances up to now, together with two new instances in Westchester County and one new case in Kings County, Cuomo mentioned. There have been no deaths amongst these instances, in accordance with Zucker.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson instructed reporters Friday there may be “some proof” the mutated pressure is also extra lethal than the unique one, which originated in Wuhan, China.
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has beforehand mentioned there isn’t any proof that any of the brand new variants are extra deadly or trigger extra extreme sickness.
When requested concerning the potential of a better diploma of mortality related to the U.Okay. pressure, Zucker mentioned he’s in touch with the U.Okay. science advisor and that the proof continues to be preliminary.
“The truth that it is extra transmissible signifies that there are going to be extra instances. If there are extra instances, there’s extra hospitalizations, and with extra hospitalizations clearly there is a threat of extra deaths,” Zucker mentioned.
Cuomo mentioned on the briefing he hopes President Joe Biden’s new administration will ramp up vaccine manufacturing and permit for elevated vaccine distribution. New York has administered at the very least one dose of the vaccine to greater than 975,000 individuals as of Thursday, in accordance with the state’s vaccine tracker.
“The U.Okay. pressure is spreading. We nonetheless are solely at 60%-70% vaccination fee of our hospital staff. It is a drawback,” Cuomo mentioned.