New coronavirus variant identified in NYC

'Home-grown lineage' rising in the US and shares worrying similarities to South African variant
Reuters Health

A new coronavirus variant that shares some similarities with a more transmissible and intractable variant discovered in South Africa is on the rise in New York City in the US, an analysis shows.

The new variant, known as B.1.526, was first identified in samples collected in New York in November, and by mid-February represented about 12% of cases, say researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.