During the new interview, Blitzer asked Fauci, “If you’ve already had COVID, how worried should you be about getting reinfected with one of these new so-called variants?” Fauci answered that the main variant they’re looking at in this regard is the South African strain, known as the 501Y.V2 variant. “The experience of our colleagues in South Africa indicate that even if you’ve been infected with the original virus, that there is a very high rate of reinfection to the point where previous infection does not seem to protect you against reinfection at least with the South African variant,” he admitted. “That’s the one that we know the most about when it comes to reinfection.” And for more factors that increase your risk of getting seriously sick, check out If You Have This Common Habit, Your COVID Symptoms Will Be Worse. While Fauci clarified that the South African strain is “certainly not the dominant strain” in any area of the U.S., it is “obviously here,” he said. “We know that there have been a couple of cases in South Carolina and one in Maryland.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb The first two U.S. cases of the South African variant were found in South Carolina on Jan. 28. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced that the two cases of the new variant had no connection to each other and only one had recent travel history. The case of the South African strain reported in Maryland on Jan. 30 was an adult in the Baltimore area, Gov. Larry Hogan announced. “The individual has not traveled internationally, making community transmission likely,” he said. And for more on how to stay safe, check out These 3 Vitamins Could Save You From Severe COVID, Study Finds. In common with the U.K. variant of coronavirus (B.1.1.7), the South African variety does appear to be more transmissible than the current dominant strain of the virus. This increased transmission obviously raises case numbers and increases pressure on hospitals, hence the current vigilance around its spread. And for more regular COVID news sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. While research has shown that the current COVID vaccines may be less effective against the South African strain, there is no evidence so far that any of these new strains are completely resistant to the vaccines currently available. As a result, Fauci stressed the importance of Americans getting their doses when they can. “I really want to emphasize it again, vaccination is very important. We need to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we possibly can. And when vaccine becomes available to individuals, please take the vaccine,” he told Blitzer. “Even though there is a diminished protection against the variance, there’s enough protection to prevent you from getting serious disease, including hospitalization and deaths. So vaccination is critical. When it’s available, get vaccinated.” And for more on the latest vaccine news, check out If You Live in These States, You Can Now Get Vaccinated at Walmart.
