First U.S. Cases Of South African COVID-19 Strain Found In South Carolina

Doctors have now identified three foreign strains of the virus within the United States. NBC's Jay Gray reports.

(NBC News) — Two cases of a South African strain of COVID-19 have been confirmed in South Carolina.

The discovery means that doctors have now identified at least three new foreign strains of the virus in the United States.

The South African, Brazilian and United Kingdom variants have the ability to spread much faster than the initial wave of coronavirus, though there is no data to suggest they are any more deadly.

The U.K. variant has already been identified in more than two dozen states and the Centers for Disease Control expects it will be the predominate form of the virus by march.

That’s adding pressure to get the vaccine to as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

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