More-contagious COVID-19 variant spreading in Fla.

More cases found in state than anywhere else in the nation

About 10 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, a more contagious variant of the virus first detected in the United Kingdom could soon become the dominant virus in the U.S. — and more cases have been reported in Florida than anywhere else in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health experts say the variant is likely already more common here than the CDC has yet detected, due to the amount of community transmission already occurring throughout Florida, and the nationwide lack of robust surveillance of various strands of the virus.

The state has 46 reported cases of the B.1.1.7 strain, according to the CDC, a count that has steadily grown since the first infection, discovered in a Martin County man in his mid-20s with no travel history, was announced on New Year’s Eve by the Florida Department of Health.

Dr. Gregory Poland, a vaccinologist with the Mayo Clinic, said COVID19 has been able to mutate because of how easily it’s been able to circulate.

“It will continue to mutate…as long as we allow in this country the incredible rate of infections we have,” Poland said. “This is happening because of our irrational human behavior.”

The Orlando Sentinel spoke to experts on public health and the virus on what to expect from this new strain. Here are some

answers to questions you might have.

What is it? Where did it come from?

The strain, known as B.1.1.7, was first discovered in the United Kingdom in September. Early reports indicate the mutation allows the virus to bind tighter than other strains to the outside of cells, allowing it to infect them more easily.

Because of that, the CDC said in a report this week it could become the predominant strain in the United States by March. Dr. Michael Teng, an associate dean of the College of Internal Medicine at the University of South Florida, said that’s because the strand is about 50% more transmissible than others.

“If you can out-compete your competitors, you’re going to win the race,” he said.

Is it more harmful?

While the strain is still being researched, early reports indicate those infected by it aren’t subject to different or more severe symptoms than are typically associated with the pandemic virus, and that it doesn’t lead to more-severe health outcomes, the CDC report states.

However, because it transmits easier, it could drastically increase hospitalizations, ICU visits and deaths, Teng said.

“More transmission means more cases, which means more hospitalizations... which means more deaths,” he said.

Warned the CDC in its report, “Increased SARSCoV-2 transmission might threaten strained health care resources, require extended and more rigorous implementation of public health strategies... and increase the percentage of population immunity required for pandemic control.”

Where is it?

The CDC reported this week it had discovered 144 cases of B.1.1.7 across 20 states, with the highest number reported in Florida.

However, because the United States doesn’t have a robust genome sequencing surveillance system, it’s unclear precisely how many cases are here, and likely many are undetected, Poland said.

“All we know is the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

It’s unclear if a case has been detected in Central Florida, but experts say it’s fair to assume that it is present here, due to the area being a dense population center with high amounts of community spread across the region.

“We don’t have exact information about where those strands are,” said Dr. Vincent Hsu, the executive director of infection control at Advent Health, Central Florida’s largest hospital system. “... [W]e have to assume that the strain is here in Florida, that it’s spreading, and we have to assume that Central Florida has a few of those as well.”

Because the Martin County man in whom the strain was first detected in Florida had no known travel history, he must have became infected locally — a troubling sign.

“That means it’s probably in a number of places here in Florida,” Teng said.

Won’t vaccinations stop it?

Eventually, yes, this strain could be contained by mass-vaccinations. However, herd immunity isn’t on the immediate horizon, and at the current rate of vaccination efforts it could take months before we reach that point.

Early research indicates that the currently available vaccines are likely to offer protection against this strain. However, the virus could one day mutate to a form the vaccine can’t protect against, Teng said.

“Others have the potential to start decreasing the effectiveness of the immunity we get from the vaccine,” he said. “This is what... virologists worry about.”

How can we contain it? Health experts say the same precautions they’ve long urged remain advisable protections against the new strain: wearing face coverings, practicing good hygiene and keeping at least six feet away from others That advice hasn’t changed or become less important even as more people are receiving vaccinations, they say.

“The only way we will control this [is] masks, distancing and vaccines,” Poland said. “Not any one of them on their own. The vaccine won’t be enough on its own.”