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UK health experts have advice for the U.S. on fighting the new Covid strain - CNBC
Jan 22, 2021 1 min, 27 secs
is likely to struggle to curb the spread of a highly infectious coronavirus variant, underlining the importance of taking aggressive measures immediately to protect as many people as possible.

The variant, discovered in the U.K and known as B.1.1.7., has an unusually high number of mutations and is associated with more efficient and rapid transmission.

recorded an all-time record high of Covid fatalities, when data showed an additional 1,820 people had died within 28 days of a positive Covid test.

response that unless aggressive measures were taken immediately, "the variant will rapidly spread geographically, as well as increase in frequency in places where it has established into the community.".

Given the lower active surveillance in the U.S., the variant may have spread wider than anticipated, and policy to contain must reflect this," Gurdasani said.

"This means strict containment efforts not just where the variant was identified, but in all regions where it could have spread.

states would need to consider reducing the number of people in retail or leisure environments, for example, and it may be necessary to close bars or restrict their opening hours given studies showing the risk of transmission is higher indoors.

"Everyone wants to believe vaccines are the solution, and they are going to make a huge difference, but it is not the whole solution," said Kit Yates, a senior lecturer in mathematical biology at the University of Bath and author of "The Math of Life and Death."

states should consider, Yates said, include encouraging people to work from home where possible, maintaining physical distancing, improving ventilation within school settings, getting children to wear masks, providing financial support to those self-isolating and using effective test and trace protocols

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