U.S. confirms first case of the new Covid strain discovered in UK

Author : vvmffyt1

Publish Date : 2020-12-29 23:04:45

The first case of a new and potentially more infectious strain of Covid-19 has been confirmed in the United States, Colorado health officials said Tuesday.

Colorado health officials confirmed the case and notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The infected individual is in isolation in Elbert County, about an hour and a half south of Denver. Officials said the man, who is in his 20s, does not have a travel history.

“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,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis said Tuesday.

“We are working to prevent spread and contain the virus at all levels,” Polis said, adding that public health officials were working to identify other potential cases through contact tracing interviews.

Preliminary analysis of the mutated strain, first identified in the U.K., suggests it may be the culprit behind Britain’s recent spike in cases. The new strain, referred to as SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 in the science community, could be as much as 70% more transmissible, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

The CDC said in December that the new strain could already be circulating in the U.S. without notice. The CDC cited ongoing travel between the U.K. and the U.S. as an explanation for the potential arrival of the new variant.

Read more: 5 things to know about the new Covid strain spreading in the UK

The discovery of the strain in Britain sparked border closures in European countries like Ireland, France, Belgium and Germany as well as countries outside of the continent.

The Trump administration does not plan to impose Covid-19 screenings for passengers arriving at U.S. airports from the United Kingdom, Reuters reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.

The British government confirms that another infectious variant of the novel coronavirus identified in South Africa has also emerged in the United Kingdom. The strain from South Africa has not yet been identified in the United States.

President Donald Trump’s coronavirus vaccine czar, Moncef Slaoui, said earlier in December that the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 shots should be effective against new strains.

Colorado identifies first known case of UK coronavirus variant in US

A Colorado man has the variant of the coronavirus from the United Kingdom that health officials say is more transmissable than other strains of the virus, Gov. Jared Polis announced Tuesday.
It is first known case of the UK coronavirus variant in United States.
The man, who is in his 20s and in isolation in Elbert County, has no travel history, Polis' office said in a news release.
"We will closely monitor this case," Polis said, "as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely."
Content by Ancestry
Give the gift of Health this holiday season
Along with your genetic health assessment, AncestryHealth® gives you your ethnic origins and genetically influenced personal traits.

The statement said public health officials are working to identify potential contacts and potential cases through contact tracing interviews.
Health authorities from around the world have said the variant does not appear to be more deadly than previously identified Covid-19 strains.
Many countries have banned flights from the United Kingdom. Several airlines recently announced passengers from London to the United States will need a negative coronavirus test.
The variant has been around since September, and US health officials have said in recent days as it became prevalent in the United Kingdom that it is probably is already in the United States.
Public Health England said initial analysis showed that while the variant appears to be more transmissible, there is no evidence it is linked to a higher risk of hospital admission or death.
Record hospitalizations could soon force facilities to ration care
The number of patients hospitalized across the US with Covid-19 is the highest it's ever been -- and at this rate health experts warn some hospitals may have to ration nurses, respirators and care.
The latest on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccines
The latest on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccines
And in Los Angeles County, where a crush of cases have filled hospitals' intensive care units for days, at least five hospitals have already turned patients away because of oxygen supply issues, officials say.
"The surges and the impact on our ICUs across the country is absolutely devastating. ... This is the nightmare scenario we worked so hard to prevent,&qu

Category : general