Be Alert for Patients Back from the UK—a New Coronavirus Variant There Could Be Worse Than the Existing One

The United States is already grappling with a deadly resurgence of the COVID-19 virus, but news from the United Kingdom indicates we could see a dire situation turn even worse if we’re not careful. The government there, perhaps wary of repeating mistakes that allowed the virus to run rampant last spring, has already implemented a partial shutdown of nonessential businesses and services in order to discourage widespread contact among the public. This is not “just” a new wave of the coronavirus we’ve been fighting, however; it’s a variant of the virus that British scientists say could be “up to 70% more transmissible than the old variant.” That variant is believed to be chiefly responsible for a spike in cases in southeastern England. There has been no corresponding increase in mortality, so far. As of this writing, eight European Union countries have announced travel restrictions to and from the UK. The U.S. has not done so at this point, but urgent care providers would be well advised to ask patients who present for testing if they’ve visited the UK recently, and to ensure proper reporting (including mention of the travel history) if recently returned patients are positive for the virus.