New, Reportedly More Infectious Covid-19 Strain Has Been Identified In California; “Likely More Cases In CA,” Says Fauci

On Wednesday, at the top of a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that the new, reportedly more infectious strain of Covid-19 first identified in the U.K. had been found in CA, specifically Southern California. The new mutation has been dubbed VUI-202012/01.

U.K. health experts say this variant could be up to 70% more infectious than others. The good news is that the current Covid vaccines being marched out are expected to be effective against the mutation.

Newsom said he was informed “just about an hour ago” that the new strain had been found in the state. While the variation is much more infectious, it does not appear to be more deadly on a case-by-case basis, according to experts. Fauci said he wasn’t surprised that there was a case “and likely more cases in California.”

“We more than likely will be seeing more cases in other states,” said Fauci about the variant that was first identified stateside in Colorado yesterday. That state on Wednesday announced a suspected second case.

“We likely will have reports [of the new strain] from other states,” said Fauci. “I think you’re gonna start seeing it because if you have that much of a prominence of this in the U.K., with all the travel — not only directly to the United States, but from other countries intermittently — I don’t think that Californians should think that this is something odd. This is something expected.”

Watch Fauci’s conversation with Newsom below.

Earlier in the day, Newsom also reported that the state had recorded a shocking 432 Covid-related deaths over the past 24 hours.

For comparison, the already very high 7-day average of deaths was 239 on Wednesday. The previous daily record in the state was 379 deaths on December 16. Even more shocking, on November 30, the number of daily Covid-19 deaths was 70. So Wednesday’s number represents a mind-numbing 617% increase in the past 30 days. Over 14 days, announced the governor grimly, “that’s 3,477 lives lost.”

For those who early in the pandemic maintained Covid-19 was little more than the flu, 3,477 deaths represents more than 50% of California’s typical number of deaths from the flu in a year when the flu was widespread.

Newsom announced 30,921 new cases of Covid-19 had been identified in the state on Wednesday. He noted that number reflected a “plateauing we’re seeing outside of L.A. County, outside of Southern California more broadly.” L.A. County, of course, remained the epicenter of the virus in the state and possibly the country.

California’s test positivity rate in the state was 12.2% over the past 14 days. Newsom said, “There is now some evidence that that number is plateauing, as well,” but cautioned against putting too much faith in that dip.

California’s test positivity rate in the state was 12.2% over the past 14 days. Newsom said, “There is now some evidence that that number is plateauing, as well,” but cautioned against putting too much faith in that dip.

He said there were over 20,000 people hospitalized with Covid-19. “You’re beginning to see that number decline modestly statewide,” he added.

The problem area — in addition to deaths — is in state ICUs, especially in the Central Valley and Southern California. “That’s our focus,” said Newsom.

While the diminishing daily case numbers do indicate the dreaded Thanksgiving surge may have worked its way through the state, CA’s Director of Health and Human Services, Dr. Mark Ghaly, indicated the state may not yet be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Health officials are still worried, “not just because of thanksgiving,” said Ghaly, “but now because of Hanukah and Christmas.” If those holidays saw an equal or greater amount of travel and household mixing, the worst may be yet to come.

In fact, the state’s own modeling aggregator predicts California will see a 100% increase in total hospitalizations by January 29 and a 60% increase in Covid-19 patients requiring ICU care.

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