The U.K. variant of COVID-19, which early research indicates causes more severe symptoms and spreads faster than the original, is present throughout most of the city of Houston, new data finds.
The Houston Health Department has been tracking COVID-19’s presence in the city’s wastewater to help identify where it is most prevalent and recently began studying the genetic makeup of the virus samples, Houston Emergency Medical Director Dr. David Persse told reporters March 8.
Preliminary data shows that as of Feb. 22, the U.K. variant made up 19% of the total amount of COVID-19 virus present in the city. That number, however, does not mean that 19% of individuals infected with the virus had the U.K. variant because the amount of virus present in an individual person varies, Persse said.
The main concern among local health officials now, he said, is getting vaccinations distributed more quickly.
