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The White House coronavirus task force warned in a report to states this week that a rapid increase in cases this winter could be the result of a domestic variation of the virus, separate from the U.K. variant. “This fall/winter surge has been at nearly twice the rate of rise of cases as the spring and summer surges,” the task force wrote in its weekly report, which was obtained by The Hill. (Samuels and Sullivan, 1/8)

A White House coronavirus task force report said the explosive surge of coronavirus cases in the United States in recent months might be caused by a more contagious U.S. variant of the virus. But a separate statement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its researchers had not seen the emergence of a U.S. variant. “This fall/winter surge has been at nearly twice the rate of rise of cases as the spring and summer surges,” according to the White House task force document, which was sent to the states. “This acceleration suggests there may be a USA variant that has evolved here, in addition to the U.K. variant that is already spreading in our communities and may be 50 percent more transmissible.” (Miller and Edwards, 1/8)

As part of the hunt for new coronavirus variants, an international database shows the United States ranks 61st in how quickly virus samples are collected from patients, analyzed and then posted online. Countries with far fewer resources, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Suriname, process samples more quickly than the United States does. (Cohen, 1/10)

After 10 months of masks, social distancing, virtual school, fear for vulnerable loved ones, and loneliness, this is the news no one wanted to hear: The virus that causes COVID-19 has changed — once again — in ways that make it more contagious. At least one new “super strain” of the virus is already in the U.S. Another highly contagious strain from South Africa could be on its way. Georgia is among the states that have reported the more contagious strain that was discovered in Britain last month. (Goodman and Miller, 1/8)

The new variant’s genetic changes appear to have increased its transmissibility by about 56%, according to the new research, though it could be as low as 40% and as high as 70%. With this competitive advantage, it will quickly become the most commonly encountered strain in any region where it gains a toehold. As it does so, coronavirus infections — and the increased illness, hospitalizations and deaths that result — will blow up. “The bottom line is it will be harder to control this new variant if it takes over,” said Ira Longini, a University of Florida infectious disease modeler who was not involved in either of the British studies. And it will take over, he added. (Healy, 1/10)

The rampaging coronavirus is revealing new unpredictability as the promised post-holiday surge continues, with some hospitals now seeing a rise in patients sick with COVID-19 who had no underlying medical conditions, officials say. Hospitals in the Bay Area and beyond are seeing an increase in such patients, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert with UCSF, said Sunday. “It’s not just people in nursing homes or people who are ill with immuno-compromising conditions who are the ones getting sick,” Chin-Hong said. “With COVID, it’s an equal opportunity disease, in some sense.” (Sanchez, 1/10)