New York Covid variant reports spark rift between officials and health experts

Officials warn against pathogen porn' amid limited data, but researchers say they are simply stating the facts

Reports of a new variant of coronavirus in New York City have circulated this week, causing a rift between health experts and city officials who questioned how concerned people should be when data is limited.

Two separate studies in pre-print stages, meaning they have not been peer-reviewed, were released this week pointing to a coronavirus variant, named B.1.526, spotted in parts of New York City starting in November.