Washington
The White House Coronavirus task force in its latest report said that the United States may have its own version of a more transmissible variant of Covid-19 that might be helping fuel the already aggressive spread of the virus.

“This fall/winter surge has been at nearly twice the rate of rise of cases as the spring and summer surges. This acceleration suggests there may be a USA variant that has evolved here, in addition to the UK variant that is already spreading in our communities and maybe 50 per cent more transmissible,” reports obtained by CNN said.

The task force further called for aggressive mitigation in response to a much more aggressive virus, which should include the use of face masks and immediate vaccination of as many people as possible.

“Without the uniform implementation of effective face masking and strict social distancing, epidemics could quickly worsen as these variants spread and become predominant,” said the report.

“The United States remains at a high plateau of 140-150,000 confirmed and suspected COVID admissions per week and 120-125,000 total inpatients. Significant continued deterioration, from California across the Sunbelt and up into the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, despite low testing rates during the holidays, suggests aggressive community spread,” the task force reports said.

The task force continued to warn states of “aggressive community spread” after the holiday season, and said that vaccines must “be put in arms now”.

The vaccination campaign in the country has already begun, with Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines being authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration .