The coronavirus variant first discovered in New York City does not appear to be leading to more severe infections, or causing re-infections at a significantly higher rate than older forms of the virus, according to a new, preliminary analysis by city health officials that was published by the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention on Wednesday. The findings are the latest sign that the city may have dodged a worst-case scenario with the variant, B.1.526, as the virus seems to be ebbing in the area. Two recent laboratory studies have also shown that antibodies stimulated by the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines work against the variant, which is among the most common versions found in genetically analyzed cases in New York City. director said that the B.1.1.7 variant had become the most common source of new infections in the United States, and efforts to improve the U.S.’s ability to track variants have received a significant funding boost. “It is critically important for New Yorkers to get vaccinated and follow public health precautions to minimize their exposure.”

Source: New York Times May 05, 2021 22:18 UTC