Name: Alarm growing as major COVID-19 variant now makes up more than a quarter of Connecticut infections; experts fear reopening plans premature
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Alarm growing as major COVID-19 variant now makes up more than a quarter of Connecticut infections; experts fear reopening plans premature

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AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantMar 10, 2021 at 6:34 amThe B117 variant of COVID-19, first detected in the United Kingdom, now makes up more than a quarter of the coronavirus cases in Connecticut, researchers at the Yale School of Public Health say, raising the possibility that coronavirus infections will spike in the state once again.The state on Monday reported 15 new B117 cases, bringing its total to 81, as well as a second case of the B1351 variant, originally detected in South Africa. The new cases spanned much of the state, from Bridgeport to New Hartford to Rocky Hill.AdvertisementBut researchers say numbers released by the state dramatically understate the prevalence of B117 in Connecticut, due to a relative scarcity of labs conducting the sequencing necessary to detect the variant. In reality, Yale researchers estimate that about a quarter of all COVID-19 cases in Connecticut were the B117 strain from Feb. 21-27 and that the share is likely higher now.Joseph Fauver, part of the Yale group tracing the B117 variant in Connecticut, said he’s encouraged by the state’s dropping COVID-19 positivity rate and ongoing vaccination rollout but nervous about the coming weeks.Advertisement“The storm cloud in the distance here is B117,” Fauver said. “A more transmissible variant does not bode well for infection rates. So we have things moving in the right direction, but we also have the very real problem of this variant.”The B117 variant is not believed to cause more serious illness than other variants but does spread more easily, meaning a small number of cases can become a large number with relative speed. As a result, the Yale team projects B117 cases will make up the vast majority of Connecticut’s total by the end of the month.Josh Geballe, the state’s chief operating officer, said state officials had communicated regularly with the Yale researchers about the spread of the B117 variant. Geballe noted that Dr. Anthony Fauci had warned that B117 could become the dominant strain in the United States sometime in March.“I think we’re on that path right now,” Geballe said.With B117 spreading, the Yale researchers say they’re concerned about Gov. Ned Lamont’s plan to dramatically ease pandemic-related restrictions beginning March 19. Nathan Grubaugh, who leads the Yale lab that sequences B117, tweeted last week that reopening so soon was “a terrible idea,” and Fauver on Tuesday similarly questioned the governor’s timeline.“I think it’s premature,” Fauver said. “We should wait until we can continue to increase vaccination coverage, until more folks across the state are fully vaccinated and we see how B117 plays out before the quote-unquote reopening happens.”Reopening too quickly, critics say, could risk a renewed spike in cases, even as vaccination continues.Lamont has defended the decision to ease restrictions in the coming weeks by pointing to Connecticut’s declining number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. On Monday, he said B117 cases weren’t increasing rapidly enough to change his mind.AdvertisementAs it happensGet the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut &gt; “It is increasing, it could be the dominant, but at least it’s not increasing exponentially,” Lamont said. “And if we did find things were changing, we have the ability to change course, but right now I think the vaccine is staying ahead of the variant.”Health officials in Connecticut have had mixed reactions to the growing prevalence of the B117 variant. Keith Grant, Hartford HealthCare’s senior system director for infection prevention, said he’s not particularly worried about the new strain.“Honestly, I’m less concerned about what variants are out there than our effort to prevent transmission in general,” he said. “I think what we worry about is our vaccination effort, worry about proper masking, worry about preventing transmission.”Fauver, despite his concerns about the B117 variant, noted that the existing COVID-19 vaccines appear to work against the strain — as do the typical means of preventing viral spread. He said his own behavior would not change dramatically amid the B117 threat.“We can continue to do what we know works,” he said. “We know that masking is effective, we know that physical distancing is effective, we know that improving ventilation and meeting outside is effective.”Courant staff writer Eliza Fawcett contributed to this report.AdvertisementAlex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com. Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantMar 10, 2021 at 6:34 amThe B117 variant of COVID-19, first detected in the United Kingdom, now makes up more than a quarter of the coronavirus cases in Connecticut, researchers at the Yale School of Public Health say, raising the possibility that coronavirus infections will spike in the state once again.The state on Monday reported 15 new B117 cases, bringing its total to 81, as well as a second case of the B1351 variant, originally detected in South Africa. The new cases spanned much of the state, from Bridgeport to New Hartford to Rocky...

Alarm growing as major COVID-19 variant now makes up more than a quarter of Connecticut infections; experts fear reopening plans premature

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