Next virus variant few mutations potentially away from evading vaccines: CDC

As the World Health Organisation(WHO) reported the highest coronavirus cases reported in the US worldwide over the past week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) said the next variant that might emerge is just a few mutations potentially away from evading the vaccine.

The CDC recently recommended Americans to wear masks in coronavirus hotspots even if they were vaccinated amid a rise in Delta variant cases.

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According to the WHO, the US accounted for 500,332 COVID-19 cases last week which was an increase of 131 per cent.

“The big concern is the next variant that might emerge, just a few mutations potentially away, could potentially evade our vaccines,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky said while raising concern over the amount of virus circulating in the US.

The White House had earlier asked its staff to mask up due to local transmission rates in Washington as CDC data revealed 63 per cent of the country's over 3,200 counties were experiencing high virus transfer cases.

Los Angeles Mayor declared openly that the "fourth wave is here" while urging residents to get vaccinated.

Reports say the Delta variant now accounts for 90 per cent of coronavirus cases in the US with the seven day rolling daily average shooting to 56,000 COVID-19 cases.

The US is the hardest-hit country due to the virus with over 610,000 fatalities even as over 49 per cent of the people are fully vaccinated.

Top US infectious disease expert Antony Fauci recently said that the "virus has changed" adding that it has an "unusual capability" to spread much more than the Alpha variant.

Fauci added that the CDC wasn't "flip-flopping in a vacuum" while saying that, "We are dealing with an evasive type of a virus, it evolves."

Fauci added, "Science shows now that even people who are vaccinated and get a breakthrough infection can transmit."

(With inputs from Agencies)