South Carolina health officials confirmed they had found the US's first two people to be infected with the variant of Covid-19 first identified in South Africa.
“The arrival of the variant in our state is an important reminder to all South Carolinians that the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” said Dr Brannon Traxler, interim director at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
There are fears that the variant may be more transmissible and deadlier.
Scientists are looking into the possibility that it may reinfect people who have recovered from Covid-19.
The people in South Carolina infected with the new B.1.351 variant did not travel recently and the two cases were not related, suggesting community spread.
It is expected that this variant, with others, has been spreading undetected in the US, because the country lacks surveillance programmes.
The cases in South Carolina also confirm that all three "variants of concern", so labelled by the World Health Organisation, are now spreading in the US.
Cases of the UK and Brazil variants have been found in other US states.
This week, the state of Minnesota said a case of the Brazilian variant had been detected in a patient who had returned from travelling in the country.
The UK variant was first found in Colorado in December last year.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is aware of the South Carolina cases and advised people to continue taking precautions wherever possible.
“At this time, we have no evidence that infections by this variant cause more severe disease,” the agency said.
“Like the UK and Brazilian variants, preliminary data suggests this variant may spread more easily and quickly than other variants.”
The state of California is also looking into confirming the existence of another variant, L452R.
It is normal for viruses to mutate and create new strains but these "variants of concern" alarmed scientists because they could be more easily transmitted.
Research is being done to see if they are deadlier than the original strain or if they pose challenges to Covid-19 vaccines.
This month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed evidence that the UK variant may be at least 30 per cent deadlier than the original virus.
“While more Covid-19 vaccines are on the way, supplies are still limited," Dr Traxler said.
"Every one of us must recommit to the fight by recognising that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together.”
At least 25 million people have been infected with the virus in the US, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows.
More than 430,000 people in the US died from Covid-19 and that number is expected to pass half a million in mid-February.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
More on Quran memorisation:
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
