CDC: U.K. coronavirus variant now dominant strain in U.S.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
(Image credit: Erin Clark-Pool/Getty Images)

The coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom is now the most dominant strain in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.

Scientists have found that the variant, known as B.1.1.7, is 50 percent more contagious than other strains. In January, 76 cases of the variant had been identified in 10 states; it now accounts for roughly 27 percent of U.S. cases, with Florida, Michigan, and Tennessee seeing some of the highest case totals, The Washington Post reports.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.