Fast-Spreading Covid Variant Seen Becoming Top U.S. Strain

A healthcare worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) places a Covid-19 swab test into a vial at a United Airlines testing sire inside San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2021. California reported 459 daily virus deaths, the second-highest tally since the pandemic began, as the most-populous state continues to battle a surge of cases that has strained health-care facilities. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- The Covid-19 variant that emerged in the U.K. and sparked concerns of faster spread could become dominant in the U.S. as soon as March, U.S. public-health researchers said in a report.

Steps should be taken to reduce its transmission, including increased genomic surveillance and adherence to public-health measures like testing and mask-wearing, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in the report.

“Increased SARS-CoV-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,” the report said.

The variant, called B.1.1.7, has already been spotted in the U.S. The CDC projection was based on modeling that showed rapid growth of the variant early this year, which could further undermine the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines that’s been marked by missed deadlines and underuse of supplies.