The first case in New York of the Brazilian version COVID-19 detected in a Brooklyn resident

A Brooklyn resident with no travel history is the first person in New York to confirm a case of the Brazilian version of COVID-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office said on Saturday.

The state’s first case of COVID-19 P.1 was identified by scientists at Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital and verified by the Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center Laboratories, the New York Post reported.

The state Department of Health is working to find out more about the patient, who is over 90 years old. It is also looking at who the person was in contact with, the office said.

The Brazilian variant is considered more contagious than the first version of the coronavirus. Current vaccines may not be as effective against it as previous virus variants.

The variant was first found in the US in January in Minnesota, the Federal Centers for Disease Control reported.

There are currently 48 cases in 15 states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, the CDC website said.

Cuomo’s office was optimistic about the fight against the new variant.

“While further research is warranted, researchers at Oxford University have recently published data that is not reviewed by colleagues, indicating that variant P.1 may be less resistant to current vaccines than originally thought,” he said. said the governor’s office.

Nearly 3.9 million doses of the vaccine were given in the five neighborhoods, the city said.

“This is a race between vaccines and variants, and we continue to make huge strides in getting fire in the arms of eligible New Yorkers,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker.

Zucker urged residents to continue to follow existing security measures, such as face masks and social distance, until the pandemic is under control.