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PHOENIX – A faster-spreading COVID-19 variant has been detected in Arizona, the Arizona Department of Health Services said Friday.
AZDHS, the public health services district of Yuma County, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute report that variant P1 COVID-19, commonly referred to as the Brazilian variant, has been confirmed in three state test samples.
While the variant is spreading faster, studies suggest that vaccines authorized to fight COVID-19 are still effective against the variant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is not known how widespread the variant may be in Arizona, officials say.
The new strain was first identified in Brazil, with the first case detected in the United States in January.
The state health department is working with laboratory and public health partners, including the Centers for Disease Control, to monitor the situation, according to the statement.
The so-called “British variant” was detected in Arizona in January.
Health officials are urging the public to continue to follow proven mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance, and washing hands.