The U.S. also suffered from mutant virus hypertension…

Amid the spread of the corona 19 mutant virus from the UK, infected people also emerged in the US. It was confirmed that the infected person did not have a history of visiting the UK unlike other infected people, and the possibility of local infection was raised. With the emergence of a mutant virus with strong transmission power while the spread of Corona 19 is seldom broken, the US health authorities are tightly tense.

Corona 19 inspection site in Los Angeles, California, USA. [AFP=연합뉴스]

According to local media such as the Washington Post (WP) on the 29th (local time), the Colorado state authorities said in a statement that “a man in his 20s was confirmed to be infected with the same variant virus found in the UK.”

It has been confirmed that this man has no record of visiting England. No close contacts have been identified yet, and state health authorities said they are investigating the route of infection through a tracking system.

According to the Associated Press, a second suspected mutant virus infection was reported in Elbert County, Denver, Colorado, where the man was quarantined. Both infected and suspected males in their twenties are said to have worked in a village in the county, and the spread of the community is a concern.

The U.S. health authorities were in an emergency when a mutant corona from the UK occurred in a person without a history of travel to the UK. Since the 28th, the US has required all inbound travelers from the UK to submit a corona negative test confirmation received within 72 hours before departure. However, cases of infection emerged within a day of quarantine measures.

On the 24th, travelers are departing from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. [로이터=연합뉴스]

US health authorities are paying attention to the route of infection. An official from a health authority told the WP, “This is a contrast to the fact that most of the confirmed cases from countries other than the UK were from the UK,” and “there is a high possibility of additional confirmed cases.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said in a statement that day, “more cases of infection are expected within a few days,” and “the spread of the mutant virus will further increase the demand for medical care that has already reached its limit.”

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Trevor Bedford, who studies Corona 19, told the Associated Press that “the virus may have spread from travelers returning from the UK in November or December.”

Countries with confirmed cases of mutant coronavirus. Graphic = Kim Hyun-seo [email protected]

There were also voices that preemptive measures should be strengthened. It is said that the subject of submission of the corona negative test confirmation before entry should be expanded to countries outside the UK.

Pessimism is also spreading over the emergence of mutant viruses with strong transmission power. There are also concerns about the’spring wave’ that the number of confirmed cases will increase again next spring following winter.

In an interview with CNN on the same day, Anthony Pouch, head of the US National Allergy and Infectious Disease Research Institute, warned that “the spread of Corona 19 in the United States is out of control,” and “the situation may worsen in January next year than in December.” He admitted that it would be difficult to achieve the 20 million vaccination plan for this year, originally planned by the Trump administration.

US President-elect Joe Biden unveils plans to respond to Corona 19 at the headquarters of the acquisition committee in Wilmington, Delaware on the 29th (local time). [로이터=연합뉴스]

US President-elect Joe Biden has urged the speed of vaccination to be accelerated. “The Trump administration’s vaccine distribution is slower than planned,” he said. “At the current rate, it will take months or years to get vaccinated.”

He emphasized that he will increase the vaccination rate to the level of 1 million people a day after taking office next January. To this end, the Defense Materials Production Act (DPA) was launched to accelerate the production of raw materials for vaccines, and the vaccine would be distributed fairly and free of charge to all vaccination applicants. It also announced that it would appeal for wearing a mask for 100 days after taking office and expand the Corona 19 test.

“The warning from experts that 400,000 Americans will die until President Trump’s retirement will be a reality,” said Biden, and urged President Trump to “support wearing masks and get vaccinations.”

Reporter Lee Min-jung [email protected]