A COVID-19 new, more contagious strain, first discovered in the UK, is rapidly spreading in the United States and may become dominant in the country by March, according to the study, the preprint of which was published on medRxiv.

The study, conducted by a team of over 50 employees from the University of California, Arizona, Helix, Scripps Research Institute, and others, has not yet been peer-reviewed.

Due to the sudden and rapid spread of the B.1.1.7 strain around the world, the researchers aimed to understand the prevalence and dynamics of the new strain in the United States.

By March 2021, B.1.1.7 strain may become predominant among all strains of COVID-19 spreading in the country, which may lead to another sharp increase in infections and deaths.