Covid-19: a new highly contagious strain of the coronavirus detected in California
Paramedics transport a patient to Rowland Heights, Calif., January 14, 2021. REUTERS - LUCY NICHOLSON
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2 min
After the British, South African and Brazilian variants of the coronavirus, are we witnessing the emergence of a new Californian strain?
The question arises more and more with the discovery of a mutation which at the rate at which things are going could become the majority in this American state.
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California is facing a formidable wave in the coronavirus epidemic with more than 500 deaths per day for this US state alone.
The British variant, which is more contagious, is present there.
There could also be another variant, a new one, which would be just as contagious.
In mid-November, it was only responsible for 4% of the contaminations, two months later this figure rose to 25%.
A quarter of new patients are therefore because of him.
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To read also: Covid-19 in the United States: California exceeded by the daily number of deaths
Like the British, Brazilian and South African variants, this one carries a mutation on the S protein of the virus, the key it uses to infect our cells
called L452R
.
It is this which could thus promote greater contagiousness.
This would provide an answer to a question in the United States: after being similar until the end of November, the curves of new infections in Florida and California suddenly diverged in December to the detriment of California, which saw an
explosion of cases.
.
This new variant could be the culprit.
Could, because if the epidemic data strongly support this hyptohesis, it remains to confirm it definitively in the laboratory.
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