New Coronavirus Strain in the UK Already in the US, Says Former FDA Chief

Strategic Insights -

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the US Food and Drug Administration, has stated that the new, potentially more transmissible coronavirus strain found in the UK is already present in the US. Despite more than 40 countries imposing travel bans on the UK, Gottlieb believes that this measure will not prevent the mutated strain from entering the US. The new strain is believed to be up to 70% more transmissible than the original coronavirus strain, which has already killed over 1.7 million people worldwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new coronavirus strain found in the UK is already present in the US, according to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA chief.
  • Imposing travel bans on the UK will not prevent the mutated strain from entering the US, according to Gottlieb.
  • The new strain is up to 70% more transmissible than the original coronavirus strain.
  • Over 40 countries have suspended flights from the UK due to concerns over the fast-spreading variant.
  • There is no evidence to suggest the new strain is more dangerous or resistant to existing vaccines.
  • Dr. Scott Gottlieb believes the mutated strain will evolve over time and may obviate prior infection or vaccines to some degree.
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US' top infectious disease expert, also expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of travel bans and suggested the mutated strain may already be present in the US.
  • The World Health Organization reports over 1.7 million coronavirus-related deaths worldwide.
  • Moderna, a pharmaceutical company, aims to produce up to 1 billion doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

Statistics:

  • The new coronavirus strain is up to 70% more transmissible than the original strain.
  • Over 40 countries have suspended flights from the UK due to concerns over the fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus.
  • Over 1.7 million people have died due to the coronavirus worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
  • Moderna aims to produce up to 1 billion doses of a coronavirus vaccine.
  • The US has seen an increase in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks.

Sources:

  • CNBC: "UK Covid strain: This is already in the US, says Dr. Scott Gottlieb"
  • Business Insider: "Covid-19: Multiple countries close borders to UK after announcement of new strain"
  • Business Insider: "UK new coronavirus strain: What we know"
  • World Health Organization (WHO): "COVID-19 Dashboard"
  • Business Insider: "FDA authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for US emergency use"
  • PBS Newshour: "Fauci says travel ban may be premature in light of coronavirus mutations"