RI Jumps to 2nd Most Infected State U.S., 78% of COVID Cases Tied to Variants

RI Jumps to 2nd Most Infected State U.S., 78% of COVID Cases Tied to Variants

Rhode Island Tuesday reported 437 new positive COVID cases, which brought the infection rate up to 43.5/100,000 according to covidactnow.org – making it the second most highly infected state in the U.S., behind only Michigan. 

Variant tracking data released by the Rhode Island Department of Health on Monday showed that 78% of positive COVID tests undergoing genomic sequencing were due to variants, up from 66% since the prior report on April 8. The majority of variants found in Rhode Island are the B.1.1.7 “U.K” and B.1.526 “New York” strains.

The B.1.1.7 variant has been shown to be 60% more contagious than the original strain.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Little is known about the B.1.526 variant, first identified and now increasing rapidly in New York. One version of the B.1.526 variant has an E484K mutation — the same shared by B.1.351 and P.1, which the World Health Organization has categorized as variants of concern because it makes them less susceptible to current vaccines. The B.1.526 variant with the E484K mutation has been shown in laboratory tests to be less susceptible to neutralization by antibodies raised by current vaccines.

Rhode Island continues to have a dangerously high, and increasing, level of COVID infection. The rapid rise of variants that may be more resistant to vaccines is creating an increasingly precarious situation in Rhode Island.  

In addition, the FDA and CDC on Wednesday evening announced that they have extended the pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

This is developing.

Nick Landekic a retired scientist and biotechnology executive with over 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.