Mutated Coronavirus Strain May Already be Spreading Undetected in US, Warn Experts

(Photo : Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A man receives a nasal swab COVID-19 test at Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) amid a coronavirus surge in Southern California on December 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

The mutated coronavirus strain first detected in the U.K. may already be spreading in the U.S. without detection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.

Even though the mutated coronavirus hasn't been found in the U.S., the CDC noted that scientists haven't sequenced most of the genetic code for many infections in the country, reported CNBC.

The agency was able to sequence only about 51,000 of the 17 million COVID-19 cases in the U.S. so it's possible that the virus strain has slipped researchers' notice.

Passing on the mutated coronavirus could have been boosted by travel between the two countries as well.

The variant has already accounted for 60% of new virus cases in London since November.

Cause for Virus Strain Emergence Remains Unknown

Scientists are currently studying if the new virus strain has higher chance of infection or if vaccine efficacy for existing approved vaccines will be affected by the virus' modifications.

The new virus variant is called "SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01." It's still unknown why the new strain occurred but it could have been "by chance alone," said the CDC.

The agency also said it may have emerged because it as "better fit to spread in humans."

Related Story: Fact Check: Did the COVID-19 Vaccine Cause a New Virus Strain?

Just like other viruses, the coronavirus also mutates on a regular basis. However, most of the mutations were relatively insignificant.

The CDC also said there is roughly one new mutation in the coronavirus genome every two weeks.

With several mutations already known to scientists, there are several studies on whether these new strains affect the severity of the disease.

Travel Ban May Not Be Best Option Against Mutated Coronavirus

As the new variant drew some concerns in the U.K., lockdown measures became tighter. Some countries in Europe have already closed travel borders for people coming from the U.K., reported Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, the U.S. remains open for those travelling from Britain.

According to former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a travel ban may not prevent the mutated strain from coming into the U.S, reported Fox News.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci also said he won't be shocked if the new strain was already in the U.S., New York Post reported.

Related Story: Joe Biden Receives COVID-19 Vaccine, Praises Trump for Successful Vaccine Development

"When you see something that is pretty prevalent in a place like the U.K....and given the travel throughout the world, I would not be surprised if it is already here," he said.

He noted that the strain may not be the most common one in the country yet but "sooner or later, we're going to run into it and find it."

Even though scientists said people might not need to worry about the mutation's effect on vaccines anytime soon, there may be a decrease in effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies to treat the virus, CDC said.

But experts also reminded people that a virus' evasion of vaccine-induced immunity could still be the most concerning since if most people were already vaccinated, immune pressure could favor or accelerate the emergence of "escape mutants," reported CNBC.

Fortunately, experts don't think this scenario will happen, given the nature of the virus. There is not evidence of it happening either.