1st reported US case of COVID-19 variant present in Colorado

Image Source : AP A waitperson wears a face masks whereas tending to a patron sitting within the outside patio of a sushi restaurant, late Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in downtown Denver
The first reported U.S. case of the COVID-19 variant that’s been seen within the United Kingdom has been found in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis introduced Tuesday, including urgency to efforts to vaccinate Americans.
The variant was present in a person in his 20s who’s in isolation southeast of Denver in Elbert County and has no journey historical past, state well being officers mentioned.
Elbert County is a primarily rural space of rolling plains on the far fringe of the Denver metro space that features a portion of Interstate 70, the state’s most important east-west freeway.
Colorado Politics reported there’s a second suspected case of the variant within the state in line with Dwayne Smith, director of public well being for Elbert County. Both of the individuals had been working within the Elbert County neighborhood of Simla. Neither of them are residents of that county — increasing the potential of the variant’s unfold all through the state.
The Colorado State Laboratory confirmed the virus variant, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was notified.
Scientists within the U.Ok. consider the variant is extra contagious than beforehand recognized strains. The vaccines being given now are regarded as efficient towards the variant, Colorado well being officers mentioned in a information launch.
For the second, the variant is probably going nonetheless uncommon within the U.S., however the lack of journey historical past within the first case means it’s spreading, in all probability seeded by vacationers from Britain in November or December, mentioned scientist Trevor Bedford, who research the unfold of COVID-19 at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
“Now I’m worried there will be another spring wave due to the variant,” Bedford mentioned. “It’s a race with the vaccine, but now the virus has just gotten a little bit faster.”
Public well being officers are investigating different potential instances and performing contact tracing to find out the unfold of the variant all through the state.

“There is a lot we don’t know about this new COVID-19 variant, but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious. The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority, and we will closely monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely,” Polis mentioned.
Polis and state well being officers are anticipated to carry a information convention Wednesday.
The discovery of the brand new variant led the CDC to challenge new guidelines on Christmas Day for vacationers arriving to the U.S. from the U.Ok., requiring they present proof of a damaging COVID-19 take a look at.
Worry has been rising concerning the variant for the reason that weekend earlier than Christmas when Britain’s prime minister mentioned a brand new pressure of the coronavirus appeared to unfold extra simply than earlier ones and was shifting quickly by means of England. The nation’s first variant case was recognized in southeast England.
Dozens of nations barred flights from the U.Ok., and southern England was positioned below strict lockdown measures. Scientists say there may be purpose for concern however the brand new strains mustn’t trigger alarm.
Japan introduced Monday it will bar entry of all nonresident international nationals as a precaution towards the brand new pressure.
New variants of the coronavirus have been seen nearly for the reason that virus was first detected in China almost a yr in the past. It is frequent for viruses to bear minor modifications as they reproduce and transfer by means of a inhabitants. The slight modifications are how scientists monitor the unfold of a virus from one place to a different.
But if the virus has vital mutations, one concern is that present vaccines would possibly not supply the identical protections. Although that’s a risk to observe for additional time with the coronavirus, specialists say they don’t consider will probably be the case with the newest variant.
The U.Ok. variant, often called B.1.1.7, has additionally been present in Canada, Italy, India and the United Arab Emirates.
South Africa has additionally found a extremely contagious COVID-19 variant that’s driving the nation’s newest spike of confirmed instances, hospitalizations and deaths. The variant, often called 501.V2, is dominant among the many newly confirmed infections in South Africa, in line with well being officers and scientists main the nation’s virus technique.

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