U.S. Covid deaths reach another record, as researchers find two new variants in Ohio

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/13/us-covid-deaths-reach-another-record-as-researchers-find-two-new-variants-in-ohio.html

Noah Higgins-Dunn

Published Wed, Jan 13 202111:48 AM ESTUpdated Wed, Jan 13 20212:03 PM EST

A record 4,327 people died from Covid-19 in the U.S. on Tuesday, marking the deadliest day of the pandemic so far as the federal government tries to speed up the rollout of lifesaving vaccines. It comes as researchers in Ohio say they have found two new variants that likely originated in the U.S.

The new record is the second time in the last week that Covid-19 deaths have exceeded 4,000 in one day. It also pushes the nation’s weekly average of deaths per day to 3,342 — a 26% increase compared with a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

So far, 34,804 people have died in January, on track to become the deadliest month of the pandemic in the United States. Medical experts say the nation is now in its post-holiday surge, and the situation will likely worsen before it improves.

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Researchers in Ohio say one of the two new variants they’ve discovered quickly became the dominant strain in Columbus, Ohio, over a three-week period in late December and early January.

Like the strain first detected in the U.K., the U.S. mutations appear to make Covid-19 more contagious but are not expected to diminish the effectiveness of the vaccines, researchers said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reviewing the research on the new strains.

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