Illinois reported on Thursday the first case of the South African variant COVID-19, health officials announced.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said the first case of the B.1.351 coronavirus variant, first identified in South Africa, was found in the state.
The confirmed variant was located in a Rock Island resident, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
“We expected to see more cases of variants detected in Illinois, including strain B.1.351,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “These variants seem to spread faster, which can lead to more cases of COVID-19 and even another wave. The best way to defeat this virus as soon as possible is to wear masks and get vaccinated when it’s our turn. ”
In the US, cases of B.1,351 were first reported in late January, health officials said. Studies suggest that antibodies produced by current COVID-19 vaccines recognize the variant, and offer “some protection.”
“IDPH will continue to work with local health departments, academic partners, laboratories and the CDC to monitor cases. IDPH has stepped up its surveillance for this and other variants, using genomic sequence testing on an increased number of specimens,” he said. says in a statement.
The Lake County Health Department reported the first case of the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant last week, which is the most common strain in the UK in recent months.
The individual infected with the variant traveled internationally and was in contact with a sick person before leaving to return to the United States in late December, health officials said.
According to the department, the individual did not show any symptoms of coronavirus.
“We expect to see more cases of these new variants in Lake County, as they appear to be spreading more easily and faster than other variants,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed, an epidemiologist for LCHD. “It is extremely important that you follow the quarantine recommendations and be tested if you have traveled or been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.”
Health officials recalled that studies suggest that the currently available COVID-19 vaccine is effective against new strains.
In Illinois, the first known case of the more contagious strain was announced on Friday, January 15, by health officials.
A Chicago Department of Public Health investigation found that the individual had traveled to the UK and the Middle East in the 14 days prior to the diagnosis, officials said, noting that the department worked to identify the person’s close contacts to alert them to quarantine and to isolate. .
Although many remain unsure about the new COVID-19 variant first discovered in the UK, the top Illinois doctor said on Friday that enough is known so that people can take appropriate precautions.
“… If something is more transmissible, that would suggest that we need to double our masks,” Ezike said, stressing social distancing and hand washing. “Like all those things I said … the message doesn’t really change, it just means it’s more important now than ever to stick to it. [mitigations]. ”
A British scientist has revealed some evidence to suggest that the strain has a higher risk of death than the original strain, although he warned that the data are uncertain.
Patrick Vallance, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, said that for a 60-year-old man with the original version of the virus, “the average risk is that for every 1,000 people who become infected, about 10 will be expected to unfortunately he dies ”.
“With the new variant, for 1,000 infected people, one would expect about 13 or 14 people to die,” he said.
At a coronavirus news briefing, both Ezike and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said attenuations could be increased statewide if there are widespread reports of the new variant.
“If we see an increase in the UK variant, we know that it will start to multiply very quickly, once it takes over significantly,” Ezike said. “We know the numbers are very, very small now. But that can change …”
The doctor previously warned that the newly discovered strain could be dominant as early as March.
The British version was detected for the first time in September, previously announced by the officials of the World Health Organization. Since then, cases have exploded in Britain, resulting in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to impose a national blockade.
The British variant is one of two new contagious viral strains that have emerged recently, the CDC said in a telebriefing late last month.