The more transmissible COVID-19 variant, which was first detected in the UK late last year and has now spread to several countries across the globe, could become the dominant virus strain in the US by March, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in a report.

The CDC said new variant, which is 70 per cent more contagious, “could threaten already strained health care resources, require extended and more rigorous use of public health strategies and increase the percentage of the population immunity needed for herd immunity”. Higher vaccination coverage might need to be achieved to protect the public,” report said.