CDC data shows rise in Brazil variant detected in US

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that cases of the COVID-19 variant first detected in Brazil are on the rise in the United States.

According to the data released Thursday, there are 434 reported cases of the P.1 variant across 28 jurisdictions.

Most of the cases are reported in Massachusetts, where there are 102 cases. Other states hardest hit by the P.1 variant include Illinois with 93 cases, Florida with 87 cases and California with 39.

The P.1. variant is the second most common variant in the U.S., the data shows. The Washington Post noted that it’s the first time that the variant has come in second.

The data comes as the U.S. grapples with rising coronavirus infections even as the daily vaccination rate climbs. The rise in cases will likely be influenced, at least in part, by the variants spreading in the U.S.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Wednesday said that the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, is now the most dominant strain of the virus in the U.S. That variant spreads more easily and is able to cause more spikes in infections.

The CDC’s data shows that 19,554 strains of the B.1.1.7 variant have been reported across 52 jurisdictions in the U.S.

Meanwhile, there have been 424 cases of the B.1.351 variant — which was first detected in South Africa — in the U.S.

Overall, the seven-day average of cases as of Thursday was around 64,000, an uptick after cases had stagnated last month. Still, it’s a far cry from the nation’s peak in January.